Curated by Alexa & Edreys Wajed (www.EatOffArt.com) IG: EatOffArt
This installation deals with and addresses the nature of our consumerism, consumption and excess, prominently pronounced as we spend more time in our domicile. It speaks to the way that we buy houses with closets with drawers and racks in which to place and hang clothes; yet live a life so fast and speedy that we habitually pull our daily undergarments and often an entire wardrobe from a $10 laundry receptacle inside a home worth tens of thousands dollars outfitted for proper clothes storage. (That’s the long explanation.) HAMPERED is a fun and transparent online art installation that will show our similarities in hang-ups, practices, procrastinations or even exhibit the orderliness of others, playfully in good humor showing up those who functionally dress from their hamper.
This is a living installation that will remain open indefinitely for submissions. If you would like to share your #Hampered imagery and narration please email: wajedcreative@gmail.com
(Please include your First and Last name, Title of the picture and a brief description/summary.)
Amanda M.
Lit by Roycroft, 2020
Wood, metal, furry four-legged creature, Roycroft style lamp, carpet, cotton
3/20/2020
CURATORIAL NOTES:
The well-groomed 4-legged canine appears to pose for a portrait, firmly planted before the stylishly functional wooden drawered hamper. One would expect the dog’s tongue to be panting from its mouth, yet it is the orange item peaking from the drawer that gives the hamper the appearance of having a tongue poking from it.
Indeed L.
Laundry Day, 2020
Plastic, mixed fabrics, reusable bag, tile, dryer
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Washing. Packing. Moving.
Washing winter. Welcoming Spring?
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Washing, packing and moving are each a task depending on the prior. If there’s a lot to wash, there’s a lot to pack which determines ones preparedness for moving. Doing all 3 at once? Washing clothes and discarding excess at the current moment of a halting societal snag is certainly in order, however, “moving” seems very much out of the equation. Moving about in regards to relocating at this time is nearly a pastime, considering many are being quarantined and restricted to moving about only in their home space.
Lenika V.
Sections, 2020
Metal, polyester, assorted shoes, denim, cotton, veneer floor
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Sections for whites, brights, darks and towels. I try to do two loads a week.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Sections make sorting most anything a bit more satisfying and simplified. This compact solution also seems to limit the amount of laundering one might want to take on, as the slightest overflow will quickly create a root beer float of dirty clothes, spilling onto well-kept shoes.
Melissa G.
Underwear & Collapsible, 2020
Cotton, polyblend, plastic, electronics
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
The foreground is my collapsible hamper which, appearances to the contrary, actually contains a few foundation garments. Rear ground is my underwear and facecloth hamper. Immediately behind said hamper
(to the left) are the drawers where the drawers are supposed to go, but never make it. The clean ones just get piled on top of their formerly laundered brethren.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
This installation speaks to what was mentioned in the description with the Call for Work. We by homes or rent apartments, in which to haul sizable wooden drawers into our living spaces, only to eventually develop habits of servicing our garments out of hampers. Thumbs up!
Heather K.
“Don’t go in the closet!”, 2020
Plastic, wire, recyclable bag, metal rack, mixed materials
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I have the time to clean this up but I do not want to. I do not want to spend hours hanging and folding. I wear the same few shirts and pants to work and never get to wear my non black clothing, which is disappointing. I am at a point where it’s not mentally worth it to straighten it up. All I do is work, sleep, and repeat. I don’t want to look at a clean closet full of clothes I can’t wear, so I shut the door and forget about it. For almost 3 months now my closet has looked like this. I feel no shame. The hamper itself is now filled with my boyfriends clothes because he is moving in. I promised him I’d clean up my nest today.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
The state of the closet only matters when the closet is open, as seen in photo. What’s to be noted is the melting style of the laundry. It looks as if the clothes were ice cream and they slowly and selectively melted away from the hangers like a scoop from a sugar cone on a summer day.
Jan A.
Untitled, 2020
Plastic, carpet, wood, assorted fabrics
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
In an unfinished room of our 150 year old house, our junk room as is. 2 baskets in 1 to deter our cat from jumping in it to pee when he is angry with us. It works. He prefers open suitcases when we travel. Oy Vey.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
More than the clothes washing procedure, the intention of the feline and the simple double basket deterrent should be noted for those who coexist with cats.
LaShekia C.
Untitled, 2020
Wicker, tiles, bottle, towels
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
These are only reds and light colored. My darks wouldn’t fit, which caused the bursting at the bottom of the hamper, and are currently in plastic bags in my clothes closet. I sort as I remove to make laundry-day less of a chore.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
This photo and artist statement speak to a routine that may be most consistent in the chore of washing clothes and such. The wicker stretching to accommodate its overstuffed contents hints at possibly investing in a newer hamper, however, it may be challenging to find a replacement that fits in the space as well as broadcasts so much character.
Sam H.
Grateful, 2020
Plastic, linoleum, unidentified fabrics
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Untouched!
I do laundry daily! I really hate when I have anything in the baskets, usually because something is sweaty and the thought of it sitting there grosses me out. “They” say I have a problem or that I am weird because laundry is a priority. Lol, whatever.
But I actually am very grateful that I have a washer and dryer in a laundryroom. Totally blessed, totally!
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Tidiness applauded! In comparison to the others, Sam is clearly about that laundry-life. Maybe grossness is the secret sauce to keeping the hampers under control.
Kim C. 1/2
Empty Because, 2020
Plastic, wood, unidentified objects
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
First, my basket is almost empty because, as you’ll see in the other pic, it’s been dumped on the laundry room floor. Working from home has allowed me time to multitask and wash clothes!
Kim C. 2/2
Dumped, 2020
Denim, cotton, carpet
3/20/2020
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Step 1 – Stuff basket with dirty clothes
Step 2 – Dump dirty clothes
Step 3 – Wash dirty clothes until clean
Step 4 – Stuff basket with clean clothes
Step 5 – Dump clean clothes
The Zen of Laundry, if it were written simply.
Dana I.
Brooklyn, 2020
Bound reed, sofas, mystery contents
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I found my hamper on the side of the road in Brooklyn. It holds my dirty clothes and my guests don’t even know.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Soiled wardrobe in plain sight thanks to a vessel serving as decor accent yet functioning as an undercover hamper. Brilliant. Adding to the win, this basket was scored in Brooklyn as a discarded object.
Jeremy & Becky B.
Hamper[ed], 2020
Woven basket, stray socks, wood, carpet, curtain
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Woven and textured from natural light woods, leather, and simple tack nails, our hamper is a juxtaposition of a beautiful facade, encapsulating necessary dirty bits on its inside.
The 3D pattern demonstrates a never-ending stairway in all directions — a representation of the insatiable need for laundered vestments, and the travails of achieving a cleansed state.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
The pattern on the hamper basket scores points for the craftsmanship in holding an optical illusion through its weaving. The pair of socks leads me to ponder as to whether they are on their way to do the drawer that’s ajar or lazily missed making it into the infinite stair patterned hamper.
Teresa V.
Deep (Skinny), 2020
Fabric, wood, plastic
3/20/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
While I have a deep (skinny) closet that contains my empty hamper, my dirty clothes are on the floor outside of the closet. Because at night when I am turning in, it is too much effort to open the closet door. Every few days I scoop them up and throw everything in until laundry day. All my clean clothes are on a clothes rack and in an antique armoire because my Victorian house apartment has teeny tiny closets.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Let’s just say that the title was quite the debate for Lex and I. Teresa did not suggest said title, yet in our humorous raunch, we couldn’t pass up the first line of her artist statement.
Margaret G.
Waiting to find mates, 2020
Cloth basket, wires, cotton socks, carpet
3/20/2020
ARTSIST STATEMENT:
This is an embarrassing photo of the excess of socks we live in. After matching 136 pairs, THIS is what was left waiting to find mates!
CURATORIAL NOTES:
The mind-bending mystery of what happens to sock pairs entering a single wash load at the same time and never returning as a Left and Right match, who can’t relate to that?
Rachel L.
Stained Glass Hamper, 2020
Stained glass, wood, plastic, fabrics, sunlight
3/20/2020
CURATORIAL NOTES:
With beautiful natural light piercing into the home, sharply highlighting the plastic hampers, it appears to be a lovely sunrise setting a gleeful mood upon fresh scented wash loads, soon returning to their rightful storage upstairs. Or, the sun could be descending, setting into darkness, giving an ominous feel to the dreaded clothes washing routine, with the baskets procrastinating their way down the stairs.
Wayne S.
Prep for next winter, 2020
Plastic, cement, sink, blankets
3/21/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Making my way through all of the blankets to put away till next winter.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Baby blankets for cleaning before storage as the winter passes, soon to be stored semi-permanently as the child ages out of the cute, plush softness of snuggly fabrics. A lone basket in what appears to be a dry basement strikes an interesting composition and feel in this image. The light source begs the viewer to guess as to whether it’s natural light or the glow and shadow cast from a basement light bulb. Well played Wayne.
Michelle W.
Mother said fix it!!, 2020
Sheets, school uniform, detergent, rug, brand new comforter, cleaning supplies, and the remainder of a 15 year old’s messy floor.
3/21/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
That’s the laundry area in my little abode. The stuff on the floor??? That’s courtesy of the 15 year old who I told to strip her bed before leaving for her visit with her dad. I guess that’s where she thought it belonged 🤦🏽♀️
So I decided, since I was standing there taking a picture, to go ahead and wash the sheets. Thinking there wasn’t much in the baskets since I did laundry while home on quarantine. Only to lean over and see her school uniforms in the basket on the right. Why would this be here since they haven’t had school? Oh, I know…because the mother (that’s me) spotted the 15 year old’s (that’s her) uniform in a pile on her bed and gave the look to said teen who stated that “she hadn’t felt like hanging it up.” Mother said fix it. I suppose making it into the laundry was the fix.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
A laundry area with signs of activity and items on standby awaiting a renewing spin-around in the washer. This area has the feels of a workshop, with tools at the ready to get one’s hands dirty at doing a task that isn’t too widely praised by the majority. A teen on the premises will always add a chaotic pinch of flavor to the laundry experience, possibly even a distinct aroma.
Jason T.
Week 12 Adventure: 03/20/20, 2020
Sofa, plastic, assortment of socks
3/21/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
How the hell do I own so many socks?
So I finally discovered the secret to where everyone’s missing pairs of socks went. They all came to my house and had a party.
Apparently they had never gotten the memo about social distancing.
But seriously, there is close to 30lbs of socks here. Totally guessing by the way. Because let’s be honest, I’m lazy and I hate math. Which probably explains why I have 30lb of socks.
It’s a bloody shame thou, with all this social distancing going on I’ll never be able to fulfill my dream of recreating the film -300- with sock puppets.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Simple and effective portrait, where the basket of socks appears to pose for the snapshot with playful gypsy attitude.
Terra L.
Two Baskets, 2020
Kettle Bell, Plastic, Socks, Wood chips, Panel, Painting
3/22/2020
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Here you see two baskets, the short, rectangular “socks only” bin, and the square “to fold” bin, also including a cast-off sweater from yesterday’s cooler weather. The hampers sit between some old wood and a kettle bell on our screened-in porch.
The socks only bin really shows extreme consumerism. We clearly have an over-abundance of socks. Socks for work and working out, socks for soccer and for fashion, sports for different seasons. Every so often I force my kids to match them, one of the few chores I pay them for, at 25 cents per pair (they must also be sorted in four piles, one per family member). But usually this basket stays full, used only when a family member’s sock drawer is empty and a pair is needed quickly. A reminder of consumer culture.
Usually there are several “to fold” bins on our dining table, but after a week’s worth of Spring-Break-in-the-time-of-Covid-19, we are down to just one basket, set out of the way. This week there has been time and space for catching up on laundry (and even a back-up jug of detergent in the window behind, purchased when we were thinking about needs for sheltering in place), though the uncertainly of the virus, and a lack of structure has made me much less productive than I would have predicted.
An upshot of all this laundry-doing is that I have been keeping the dining table fairly clear. (It’s also my desk/office, and rather long.) With the husband working from home, family dinners are daily now, not just weekends, as there is no commute time. The 6:00 meal is what I grew up with, the church bells from St Mark’s marking the time to set the table and sit down, is working for us here in Austin, Texas, as well. We’ll continue to cook, eat, walk the dogs, and yes, do the laundry, in this extraordinary time of uncertainty.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
What’s most striking is how these items present as an Olan Mills Photography Studio family portrait. The kettle bell serving as the youngest or the baby and sliding to the right, the height increases, suggesting familial hierarchy, from siblings to parents and the wood at the end feels like the grandparent capping off the portrait.
Kira G.
Relegated Reds, 2020
Metal, polyester, tile, cotton and more
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Laundry sorted into 5 categories, but only a 4 bin hamper. Reds have been relegated to a pile on the floor nearby. Labels were made and laminated so teenage boys could sort their own laundry without claiming not to know which bin to put it in.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Orderliness is the fragrance wafting from this installation with a streamlined laundry solution. The pile at the end AKA the 5th wheel is humorous and standout, organically accenting the composition with a colorful exclamation and flair.
Tracy H.
Domestic Art and Architecture, 2020
Hamper, marble, clothing, linens
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Did I just take a picture of my laundry in portrait mode? Yes. Yes, I did.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
This has the feels of Michelangelo’s sculpture of David from the 16th Century in Florence. The color tones are reminiscent of the David’s youthful muscles protruding through his flesh of marble with the lean and posture of the hamper’s content giving off a little sass and attitude. The sharply contrasting dark background and subtly ornate carvings frame this hamper to make a dull task appear stately.
Melissa D.
Conglomerate, 2020
Baskets, mixed fabrics, wood, closet
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I live in this ongoing cycle of both extremes.
Sometimes I live out of my totes of clean, unfolded laundry, and other times I have everything neatly put away and organized. (Which is refreshing both in the process, and as a result)
I don’t sort my laundry in traditional Darks/Lights. It’s usually by function (and what can be left in the dryer, forgotten about).
Work/office clothes & delicate items are usually separate, as I have to dry them for much less time… this is the first section to be hung up and folded.
Then there’s my casual/comfy pile… often left unfolded to be worn from the bin. Socks/underwear mix in to this conglomerate, and become an unfolded sort out, once clean.
Half my towels are white/grey, the other half are dark brown, there are enough to be washed and sort as so.
And lastly, I have an entire bin of construction & studio clothing, none of which ever gets folded, and is smushed into a closed bin when clean. This section grows from my clothes that are comfy, yet stained or not worth donating. Anything beyond that gets cut up and used as rags.
**
Pink bins: clean, to be folded
Grey and white: dirty, sorted, to be washed
Top – working with bins.
Bottom – away and satisfied.
***
It’s amazing how a few pairs of underwear can change ones entire cycle.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
This installation sparks the imagination and inquiring mind to fancy the idea of these inanimate objects coming alive and moving about by themselves. As if animated, these clothes appear to go about sorting to folding and positioning themselves into their rightful places in the closet, only to fall limp and lifeless upon the entering of their human owner.
E.W.
Major Laundry, 2020
Animal Print basket, Egyptian Cotton, Cotton, Vintage Tile
ARTIST STATEMENT:
The owner of this hamper doesn’t want to do laundry every week. So she buys lots of sheets, towels and undies; and does major laundry about every two and a half to three weeks.
CURATORIAL NOTES:
This warm, colorful display with organic twists and torques lends great line movement, shadows and contrasts suited for a still-life drawing. In sitting with this submission, the color classification of the large towel may leave one stumped.
Alicia G.
Hampers that aren’t Hampers, 2020
Bottles, Bags, Boxes, Hampers and NO Clothes
ARTIST STATEMENT:
(Counter Clockwise)
– Bottle Hamper
– Hanging Hamper
– Fake Hamper
– I’m DONE hamper – Thrown down the stairs. #SeeYaLaterAlligator
CURATORIAL NOTES:
Creativity and out of the box thinking makes valid allowances for hampers not solely restricted to holding clothing or linens. The ill-fated green basket actually intended for laundry has humor dripping from it’s grimace. Clever. Touché.
Edreys Wajed 
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