selected embroidery

Installation of native seed-embedded, handmade paper and worn embroidered work shirt, 48” x 96” x 48”. 2025

A threadbare and frayed used work shirt, machine and hand-embroidered with an Environmental Protection Agency-contracted topographical map of the Brio Superfund site in Southeast Houston, is presented in front of large sheets of handmade paper. The paper is made from a mixture of household waste and detritus collected from the perimeter of the Superfund site.

Upon close inspection, the shirt reveals the locations of wells installed by the EPA to test for ground water contaminants. Stitched onto the back of the shirt are cul-de-sacs - a reference to the Southbend subdivision built on the Brio Refining property line, that was torn down after large numbers of residents were sickened by toxic air and groundwater.

The paper is installed using magnets and metal hardware of various lengths.

Machine stitched polyester and hand-stitched cotton floss on worn polyester work shirt. 2025