"Red Hem Kimono" by Gordon Chandler

Upon discovering a weathered steel drum that had been warped to resemble the sleeve of a garment, artist Gordon Chandler was inspired to embark on a series of kimono sculptures formed from found metal scraps. With an eye to the aesthetic possibilities of this humble material, Chandler invests the reclaimed steel with sculptural fluidity and a wry sense of form.

Pressed flat and artfully folded, this discarded oil barrel takes on the appearance of a traditional Japanese kimono. Carefully worked, the dented metal becomes a length of draped silk, puckering along pleated folds and folded back along an open seam for a contrasting hem of bright red enamel. Allowed to rust in the elements, the unfinished steel has developed a weathered, rusted texture suggestive of shibori tie-die or ikat weaves. A small metal plate secured to the collar finishes the sculpture in lieu of a garment label, stamped with the artist's signature and date of creation.