Lumber Stack, 2024
67”X67”

Stacking lumber onto pallets was one of the jobs I did when I worked at a sawmill in my youth. It was always one of my favourite tasks because it meant we were close to the end of the work day!

Mimicking standard lumber dimensions, I ripped Carhart and Dickies work pants into two-inch strips to act as my “boards”. The board ends are represented by orange mesh hi-vis material that I made from old safety vests. The quilted “X’s” (yellow flagging tape) add depth to the board ends and meet corresponding strips of white tee-shirts that serve as the negative space. Like all the quilts, the grey border is made from reflective safety vest material.

During the creation of these quilts, I leaned into the monotonous, repetitive and meditative nature of sewing and quilting. I first adopted this mode of production when I was a boy working at a sawmill. I enjoyed redirecting my labour, on my own time and toward something beautiful, useful and symbolic outside of capitalist logics.