Matter in White describes a physical substance. The sheer amount of detritus from the dry cleaners is arresting—wire hangers, tissue paper, plastic coverings. Wire hangers also carry symbolic weight, tied to the history of abortion attempts across the world. This is why it is so critical to reverse the reversal of Roe v. Wade. The infamous scene in Mommie Dearest, with Joan Crawford screaming, “No wire hangers, ever!” is forever embedded in my memory.

Making beauty from these dark shadows and castoffs becomes a way of transforming detritus into something woven—beauty made from the bounty of discarded matter.