RAGRUG
RagRug is a community art project.
It is an homage to the artist's grandmother, Olga. Braiding rag rugs is something that Santos learned from her by watching Grandma’s old hands twisted from arthritis. She would indulge into a routine of braiding at night while sitting on the couch, watching soap operas, and drinking tea after a full day’s work. Her grandmother repurposed leftover scraps from old clothes and turned them into functional items for the house. The artist started braiding in the Fall of 2020 and has engaged community in to participating in the braiding as ways of sharing personal memories. Each piece of recycled fabric bring its otwn history. A baby blanket, an old t-shirt, the bedroom’s curtains.
Using John Cage’s applications in chance and indeterminacy, the Common Thread Rug Project was born. The project offers a simple framework to guide its participants:
Braid strips of recycled textile.
Use the Amish knot to connect new strips to the roll.
Keep braiding and roll the braids into a ball.
Handstitch the braids together, forming a circular rug
To date, more than sixty people have participated in the project, and some continue to braid. RagRug can be broken apart as a site-specific work, hung on the wall cascading over the floor, or simply laid on the ground. Fabric is a COMMON THREAD that ties human communities together; this project is a chance to connect us all.
RagRug, Recycled textile, braided and stitched by hand. 130 in x 108 in | 2020-Present
WANT TO BRAID WITH ME?
Want to share your story? Can you donate textile or braid with me? I can go to schools, communities and gatherings. Braiding together is therapeutic, it preserves history and creates connections, bringing awareness to the project.
