Ian Berry on His Denim History Discoveries in Genoa
Artist Ian Berry’s chosen medium is denim, and over his career he has used the material to create everything from 3D flowers to slice-of-life portraits. But a recent commission brought his preferred art form and denim history together in one piece.
Ian’s latest piece is a depiction of Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was recorded wearing jeans in both text and paintings. “Garibaldi in Jeans” was revealed during the city’s Genova Jeans event and is on view at the Museo del Risorgimento.
Read on to find out more about how Ian’s tribute to the city of Genoa came together and what he learned about the history of denim during his visit.
Carved in Blue: How did you find yourself working with the city of Genoa?
Ian: I’ve been talking to the city of Genoa now for several years. I first talked back in 2017 about doing a project and a show there. Sadly, in 2018 the Morandi motorway bridge came down, killing 43 people. The project was shelved, but my name was around, and in 2019 I started talking with Manuela Arata from the municipality, who was starting to want to celebrate the city’s link to jeans.
She visited my studio in London in January 2020 and we had a lovely meeting. I love history and I’m an old romantic and love connections. Of course, I wanted to help this great city celebrate the history of the fabric that I now make my trade. I was supposed to then do things last year, but it was one of the few things the pandemic affected. (Giving my last fall, I wish a few things fell victim as I’m still exhausted from three big shows in a row in foreign countries when everyone else had everything canceled.) And along with that, I wasn’t able to go and even have a look ‘til now.
The city didn’t disappoint, and I loved its rustic old streets full of history, and not only that of the blue kind. As an American, I am sure you will know that Columbus is from there!
Carved in Blue: You portrayed Garibaldi. Adriano Goldschmidt said it was a masterpiece, one of your best and loved that it connected a global hero fighting for freedom. “We all admire him and we live with the same ideals,” he said. How did it come about that you portrayed Garibaldi?
Ian: When Manuela came to my studio, she told me about the city and she told me about Garibaldi. When he unified Italy, he was wearing what would be a pre blue jean. I was fascinated. Many talks later and working with the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano in Turin, I made this piece they hung alongside other artifacts of this great Italian in the Museo Risorgimento in Genoa.
It’s such an honour to have the piece alongside the man known as the greatest ever Italian and one who was so famed in his day around the world. It is also great to connect to the denim history, that few know about it. The ones who know about Garibaldi will know about the red shirt, maybe even the poncho, but it is great to highlight the jeans. Not only that, as an inhabitant of Genoa where he would set sail from many times, it is of course the city that gave our favourite garment its name. I like to say it was the English, like denim from “serge de nimes,” but it was the French name “bleu de Gênes”—Blue of Genoa/Genova—that got changed to sound more English. Outside denim, I always find people fascinated to know this as they didn’t have a clue.
I’m not really someone to do commissions, but without saying too much, it is a direction I am going in with the concept and story.
Carved in Blue: Was Garibaldi a man you knew much about?
Ian: I love history, so did a bit, but it has been great finding out more. I also grew up with Garibaldi biscuits in England. I found myself asking many Italians about him, in fact many of our mutual friends, and it was interesting to get the opinions. His name came up often when asked for the greatest Italian, as did Mazzini, whose house the piece is displayed in. Both were important in unifying Italy.
I found it fascinating that his dress was so iconic and how famous he was. Without all the tools we have now, I don’t know how he had mobs of people flocking to ports to greet him. He was actually really famous in England; I read how he visited Tynemouth in the north to collect coal and people greeted him enthusiastically. That is where my grandma’s family are from and they all were coal miners for generations. She was an Elliott, like Billy, and that is how my son got his name. So it was a nice link. In fact, the city has so many links to England, sharing the flag but so much maritime history.
Carved in Blue: Is it a new direction you are going in to look at the denim history?
Ian: Actually, yes. I’m building on something and asking many people in denim “Who are the greatest influencers on denim of all time?” Any of your readers care to help?
For years I have tried to keep away from denim. It was just my medium. It was about denim, nor, was it for denim. Now after 15 years of being immersed in the material, I have found it hard to not look further and portray it. Ironically, it is how I started.
Carved in Blue: What were the other highlights of Genova Jeans?
Ian: For years, I have wanted to visit and see the Passion Canvases. I was so lucky on the first day; I got a private tour with the curator, Paolo Martini, at the Museo Diocesano, which was so emotional. They are kept rather hidden and you’re not allowed to take photos. I’m too much of a goody-goody as I didn’t, then later saw others getting in and sneaking some. But in truth, it helped me look with my eyes more, and I was so moved.
They are from 1538 and composed of 14 different clothes. Without seeing them in real life, you could think they were lasered denim. They are linen canvases dyed with indigo and painted with white lead. Apparently, there’s evidence of four or more artists. It looks like it would take a long time. There is still a lot of mystery about them, and they were bought by the Italian government in 2001. I sometimes find the indigo history of denim isn’t spoken about enough, and it is this which I think forms the connection—this great port city importing it from India. The dates show how far back it goes. To think this would be the precursor to the jeans we know today.
Something very special too was the recreation of the first pair of jeans, made by Diesel. It was so interesting to see from the material to the cut. It was from the oldest jeans fabric ever documented in history, featuring denim trousers woven diagonally in a blue cotton weft and white linen warp to resemble a nativity figurine by Italian artist Pasquale Navon. It depicts the oldest historical instance of jeans and was even certified and verified by Marzia Cataldi Gallo, an art, textile and costume historian. The way it was presented was beautiful too.
Candiani presented a spectacular installation that also showed their sustainable credentials, and I was fascinated to see how the material can degrade in only six months. A nice find was the guys at Doria and Dojola, who made really beautiful scarves from denim and showed in a pop-up on the jeans street. Really great guys. There were many great things at the main location; there were really amazing graphics and videos and displays on the history of denim. There was also a nice video of me!
Of course, there were many things, and the week was packed. I believe it to be an Italian tradition to fill every minute, but it was nice and of course good food. I did get to break away sometimes as I wanted to see some of the other parts of the city, of course galleries, but then also the impressive Hall of Mirrors and the Museo Palazzo Reale as well as the stunning fishing village of Boccadasse. I’d recommend the city and not just for a day from a cruise ship.
It’s also great to meet new people, and it was fantastic to meet many of my Italian friends in denim and then new ones like Livia Firth at Eco Age, and it was great to meet the Diesel team. There were so many people involved I can’t name them all.
Carved in Blue: What did you think of Genoa?
Ian: It was a great city with a great past. It has such a rich and important tapestry of local and world history. There are so many amazing buildings from grander times. I compared it a little to Napoli—more rustic and weathered than some Italian cities I know. It has had a rougher recent history, and projects like this are trying to regenerate areas. My work isn’t just about denim, but about changing urban environments. I nearly actually trained as a town planner, so it is something I am really interested in. I really hope Genoa can have a great future, and I think by celebrating its past more, it will.
I think it is great they are celebrating the history of the city with jeans, and while there is little connection to denim now, put in the context of the belt from there to Venice on the other side, the whole region of Northern Italy has such a strong connection to denim with many brands and suppliers, and I think it needs to be celebrated. I believe it’s the authentic home of denim in Europe.
Carved in Blue: What comes next for Ian Berry?
Ian: Next month (argh) I will open my next show at the Textil Museet in Sweden—the national textile museum and the leading textile museum in the Nordics. It’s an amazing place. It’s great to show and great to show back in the country where I used to live. They are denim mad there too.
For anyone wanting to travel, they have ‘til May 1 the following year. It’s in Boras, home to the textile Industrial Revolution of Sweden and still home to many textile brands. They celebrate the history well with great displays and amazing shows. When I was there, the Versace show was there from the V&A. I’m really looking forward to it and I think denim people may like one part of it more than normal!