Denim Portraits

Swedish-based British artist Ian Berry created a series of portraits on denim (yes these photos are someone's old jeans!) with bleach. Given the appropriate moniker Denimu, this jeanius describes his love with the durable fabric:

I found myself staring at them, wishing I could still fit in them remembering the times when I could. I was transfixed by the ripped, faded beauty of the fabric. How the different blues contrasted against each other in a sea of different blue shades.

 I couldn't part with them; they were such a big part of my past.

 Inspired by my old jeans I had the idea of cutting up old pairs of jeans to create images prolonging the life of the jean.

 Through a material that while personal to me, is also so ubiquitous - transcending borders, race, age, social class and time. A link to my past, but also to one another.

 Initially drawn to the artistic possibilities offered by the deep and varied texture of the fabric, later I became fascinated by the rich heritage of Denim. A story that has run alongside that of modern history. A material that abounds in dualities and meanings. A symbol of both egalitarianism and of materialism. A reflection of the world in which we live.