Tina Struthers x Kancan

Flux Infini [Infinite Flow], 2021

Stitching, Sewing, Zippers, Safety Pins, Sequins, Kancan Denim, On Cloth

"What is the trace I'm leaving, and what is the trace that we are leaving on our environment and on the time that we're living in"

- Tina Struthers

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tina is a visual and textile artist based in Montreal Canada who is intuitive in her art and enjoys getting physically involved with the materials she creates with. She creates her own studio art from research based art practice but is also very involved in commissioned public art projects that focus on developing cultural mediation and social outreach. Tina chooses to work with textile and fiber based materials because it's relatable to people all over the world as from the moment we’re born we are wrapped up in cloth and it’s one of the first ways we express our individuality in the clothes we wear. Another reason she loves working with textiles is being able to manipulate the material to represent other things and emotions. Tina’s creation process happens very organically and is usually rooted from in depth research on subjects she is passionate about such as social issues, climate change, and human impact on the environment which plays a big part in the inspiration behind a lot of her work.

MEANING OF DENIM

Tina explains how denim for her is approachable by the way it’s comfortable, serves as work wear, and comes from humble beginnings. She believes denim is a powerful material to talk about in the waste aspect and environmental impact of the clothing industry on water production since it is largely produced and made of cotton and appreciates the few companies that are pursuing how to reduce water in the production process and develop products that are more environmentally friendly. Tina looks at denim as an embodiment to talk about these issues as a material in itself but denim also has this comfort aspect where it's "home". In "Flux Infini" Tina combined a mixture of denim fabrics and other elements such as safety pins, zippers, sequins, and other sparkly fabrics to piece together this beautiful abstract piece inspired from the grungy, punk aspect that denim plays in the fashion industry and focuses on the attitude it brings but also the hope that it brings where we can create change by creating more ecologically conscious products. The denim gives this piece a raw and a humble breath of fresh air.

"[Denim] is such a approachable medium, I think we all know the feel and comfort that a good pair of jeans or a denim jacket bring"

- Tina Struthers

ABOUT THE WORK

Tina's Kancan X Artists piece is titled Flux Infini (Infinite Flow). The inspiration behind this piece is about the flow of water and creating circular economies and awareness. During many hours in a meditative state repetitively stitching, Tina goes through a lot of thought processes sometimes being deeply emotional. While making this art piece, one of things that spoke very strongly to her is what trace she, and all of us are leaving on our environment and on the time we’re living in. In the deeper message of this art piece, Tina challenges us to look at how fluidity changes by the markings that we’re leaving on our environment and how these traces merge into the flow of time like this art piece “infinite flow”. Growing up originally in Cape Town South Africa Tina's awareness for water use was experienced much differently than it is in Canada or the U.S. She was able to pull from her experience and really think about the way we use it and translate that into her art by creating awareness. She incorporated protruding parts in her abstract sculpture which become like water droplets or growth plants which brings out another theme in her work “Metamorphism”. The change in her art reflects on the change we can be and how we create, use products and recycle which will help in leaving less of a carbon imprint. Tina was able to take a deep message and recycled denim and turn it into not only a beautiful masterpiece but a glimmer of hope.