A series of clotheslines retain core memories

An artist narrated her coming-of-age journey through a series of clothing packed clotheslines, where she explores the inevitable process of growing up. 

Artist Madison J. Summers, a senior studio art major, was assigned to create ten sketches of a memory or place in her Concept in Artistic Process class (Arts 298). She decided to do a blend of both and instantly began drawing clotheslines.  

Summers explained how her childhood home didn’t have a washer or dryer, so her family hung their clothes on a clothesline or visited the laundry mat. Today, a clothesline transports Summers back to her childhood. 

“It just makes me think of summertime and it’s just a kind of sweet memory,” Summers said, “and I wanted to do kind of like a children’s illustration type of vibe.”   

Although simply beginning as an object representing memories for Summers, the concept encouraged her to think deeper about the process of growing up.  

“I thought about how our clothes change as we grow, like of course we don’t wear baby clothes anymore, we wear adult clothes,” Summers said.  

The final two pieces titled “Clothespins” and “Clothesline” represent Summers growing up.  

“Clothespins” features Summers helping her mom hang clothes atop the clothesline, what she considers now to be a core memory.  

“It’s purely memory, I didn’t use a reference or anything, so I think that was kind of special, like that’s how I remember my mom when I was younger,” Summers said.  

Summers said reflecting on these memories made her realize the value of truly appreciating family, wishing she could be back helping her mom with chores like hanging clothes on the clothesline as she once did.  

Her other piece, “Clothesline,” represents the change of Summer’s clothes as she grew up. The three clotheslines feature her clothes at different times in her life: baby clothes, elementary school clothes and her current wardrobe. 

Summer sharedan early sketch where she was gathering ideas for the final pieces, featuring a written note, “it makes me happy when I notice I still do the same things as younger me, it means she is not forgotten.”