Welcome to Ian Berry’s ‘Hotel California’
Ian Berry’s newest art installation lets you swan-dive right into denim.
Known for his unique work using only denim jeans, the newest exhibit from the London-based artist turns denim to water in bright pieces inspired by The Golden State.
Credit: Shirley Zheng
“Hotel California” in London’s Catto Gallery layers small bits of jeans to create photo-realistic pieces—without using any paints, dyes or bleaches. Pieces are based on Los Angeles hotels, with shades of denim recreating palms trees and swimmers’ ripples. Playing off the iconic Eagles song of the same name, the “Hotel California” entrance is made into a record store with a blown-up version of the 1977 album cover in the window. The entire exhibit is made without using any paint, bleaches or dyes.
“I was in California for a while last year and…I wanted to bring that bright feeling back to my London studio after doing darker work for a few years,” Berry said. “Things have been a little gloomy here in London and, to be honest, I really wanted to keep the mood going with the brighter denim and scenery…but like the song, things didn’t always work out that way.”
That said, London’s denim industry is growing, Berry added, noting that Blackhorse Lane lent a last-minute hand with spare denim, while E.L.V denim contributed a pile of denim for Berry to use.
Credit: Shirley Zheng
The sell-out show has been named a “Must See” by the Londonist, heralded as a Top Seven show in London by FAD magazine, and has even been featured on the BBC.
Shirley Zheng, House of Gold director of product innovation—and former Los Angeles resident—offered high praise for “Hotel California” and Berry’s use of denim’s frayed edges to create 3D effects.
“Ian’s talent keeps evolving. You can notice his attention to denim shades and detail in this particular exhibit,” she said. “He’s growing as an artist, and it’s evident that his appreciation for denim has deepened.”
Berry has been creating art exclusively using denim for nearly 15 years. Named a “Top 30 Artist Under 30 in the World” by Art Business News, he’s held recent shows in New York, Miami and San Francisco. One week before “Hotel California” opened, Berry showed a collaboration with Tonello and friend Juan Manual Gomez at an event marking the ITMA show in Barcelona. The installation recreated a new version of the Garden Trellis from Berry’s “Secret Garden.”