Yoke: Garment Solidarity Pennants at the East Side Freedom Library

Garment Solidarity Pennants seek to lure viewers in as cheerful, colorful pennants, yet suggest something more sinister as a “yoke” – something used to control animals. This work represents the way garment workers are held captive by international clothing brands responsible for unsafe workplaces and below standard pay, endangering worker’s health and livelihoods. The pennants are made from the yoke of used shirts that have been purchased by the pound at a Goodwill Outlet. These pennants bring attention to the way our clothes contain a range of histories – both those of workers and those of wearers – raising essential questions about how garments are discarded and the impacts of overproduction on the climate.