Dirty Laundry: The Art of the Stain in Modern T-Shirt Design

DirtyDirtyLaundry.com has been created to feature exhibits from the gallery show devoted to the concept of ‘potential’. Using common everyday stains as an integral part of the design and fashion of a t-shirt, the exhibition seeks to shift our perceptions of chance and error, and reassesses the potential of ‘the stain’ as art.

Whether it’s grass, grease, or ketchup, participants of the show are challenged to incorporate the stain into a custom designed silkscreen, converting “ruin” to “re-invention.” In keeping with a growing social trend for environmental awareness in art and fashion, Dirty Laundry attempts to assign value to everyday items atypically deemed worthless, further broadening our understanding of the ever relevant mantra, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

Many of the artists featured at DDL are well known for their illustrative and conceptual flair in t-shirt design, some of my favourite t-shirts by this merry band of stained prodigies include:-

Damien Correll’s ‘Our Best Days Are Behind US” T-Shirt

It’s Nice To Be Nice Tee by Damien Correll

Mini Tee by Jason Laurit at Paste

Fishnets by Jason Laurit at Paste

Brooklyn Industries Type by Mike Perry

As a matter of interest I’ve come across a few other artists on the net who are making a name for themselves by staining their tees. These two aren’t exhibiting at Dirty Laundry – still they are t-shirts, and they are stained…

Meryl Smith is a fascinating artist, this is called Tea Shirt and was actually stained with tea leaves! She’s even made a label for it – very reminiscent of a Lipton’s Tea tag – which completes the concept perfectly

Now for something gross to finish off the post. I know, I know it’s ‘art’ but still… pewwww. This t-shirt is formed from armpit stained patches of old and most likely crusty tees the local Salvation Army donated (dumped on their doorstep then ran). Someone open the window (I can’t appreciate art when my eyes are streaming), and pass me that deodorant :/