Maryland Today | Dress Code: Tube Socks and Cut-Out Jumpsuits

For Baltimore-based artist Elliot Doughtie, the simple tube socks, in all their subtle red stripes, are a way to dismantle how clothing informs gender norms. In Group Activity, a drawing on paper, a mountain formed by dozens of traditionally masculine socks taps into the notion of gender performance as something done through repetition, says Maura Callahan, Ph.D. students in art history curating the exhibition.

Hanging next to Group Activity, Solo depicts a sad, aloof sock, presumably the one lost in the washing machine. Without the other reinforcements of the sock army, this one seems weak and pathetic–things a man shouldn’t be. On the floor beside the picture, three buildings look like piles of socks, but made entirely of plaster and weighing up to 80 pounds.

Along one wall, a series of small mixed-media pieces on wood focus on the ongoing women’s revolution in Iran, sparked by the September killing of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, who was arrested and beaten by the country’s so-called morality police. The alleged crime? Not wearing her headscarf in accordance with Iranian law. Amini died three days later from his injuries.

Mojdeh Rezaeipour, an Iranian-born artist now living in Washington, DC, was inspired by the incident and by the uprising that followed, led by women protesting against their repressive government. The pieces showcased on Unfold, all untitled, are based on real photos and transitioned to wood. “I love that they’re so small, because these are truly monumental acts that we’ve seen happen, but they’re actually a much smaller piece in a much larger picture,” said Callahan.

Climate change is another theme in the exhibition. Baltimore-based artist Hoesy Coronas Climate Ponchos, made of vinyl, silk jersey and faux leather, were printed with images of people fleeing climate disaster. The most basic purpose of clothing is to mediate contact between our bodies and the environment, says Callahan. Those environments are now changing rapidly and dramatically, so Hoesy’s work encourages us to think more deeply about the space between ourselves and our environment that clothing occupies, especially for those who are forced to leave their homes.”

The use of clothing is also a question that interests HH Hiaasen, a Richmond, Va., regional artist. For several years, Hiaasen has been creating what they call breathable clothing, or clothing with lots of cuts. Jumpsuits, gloves, safety goggles, and even a leaky N95 mask are all on display at Unfold.

It kind of involves this notion of the relationship between labor and vulnerability, because these are all things you’d wear while doing manual labor, but are completely useless because they’re full of holes, Callahan said.

Well, maybe not completely useless. Hiassen has sold many of the jumpsuits as ready-to-wear items. So, is it meant to be worn alone or with a bodysuit underneath? It’s up to you, Callahan says.