The Secret Garden was the subject of the first project between Ian Berry and Tonello in 2017 exhibited in New York at the Children’s Museum of the Art’s and now the installation also arrives at the Flower Mart in San Francisco, another fantastic location that will host the work in denim permanently.
A hanging trellis with flowers, leaves, vines, wisteria and chrysanthemums welcomes visitors, but it is no ordinary flora but a dense structure that blooms in blue, indigo blue. Each piece cut from jeans and denim.
Cascading high across the wide-paned windows as a floral curtain, this piece is a solemn and bold reminder of the industrial history of the United States. The denim from this piece was sourced from the last denim mill in the United States, Cone Denim’s, White Oak in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“Denim has been a medium for me over 15 years and one thing I love the most about it, is the history though time and its symbolism but also its origins. Representing the Flower Mart in the material famed in the city dating back to the 1870s and the official fabric of California will show that the great new building respects and embraces the city’s heritage.” Said Ian Berry
Ian Berry is currently exhibiting in the birth home of Levi in Bavaria starting a tour of his work that takes in many cities across the world.
PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE ANDERSON 
PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE ANDERSON 
PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE ANDERSON
“The democratic nature of this famed material is also a mark of this project’s preservation of blue-collared jobs and a bridge between the old and the new in this innovation. And of course, denim transcends all boundaries all over the world and ever since the 1800’s the Flower Mart has been ethnically diverse, and this history should be celebrated.” Conclude Ian Berry.
A trademark for Ian Berry as well as an exciting result of a sincere collaboration for Tonello, who has been working side by side with the artist for several years.
Today Tonello is the international benchmark for the garment-processing industry developing innovative equipment for the apparel industry. Not only, also known as the inspiring company, it boasts numerous projects and collaborations with international artists including Ian Berry, an artist that shows around the world in galleries, museums, and art.
Tonello has created the Secret Denim Garden using only innovative and totally responsible technologies.
We are talking about Laser Blaze and The All-In-One System, pillars of Tonello Laundry (R)Evolution, the sophisticated fruit of a radically new conception in garment finishing processes.
Tonello mentions :
” 100% sustainable effect on leaves and flowers has been created , thanks also to the ECOfree2 technology – part of The All-In-One System – that through the use of ozone in water and ozone in air, reproduces an extremely natural bleach effect on denim, all in a completely responsible way.”
With the installation for the new San Francisco Flower Mart, Tonello helped was (with ozone) dozens upon dozens of yards of the Cone denim and laser cut the vines to make the Trellis. Ian travelled to Italy to work with the specialist team in the region also famed for its denim industry
Alice Tonello, head of Tonello marketing and R&D said:
“Having the opportunity to work with Ian Berry is always amazing. We are using denim in a different and inspiring way, and it’s something that in the industry usually doesn’t happen.
When he asked us about this new project, we were so happy and so proud to be part of it. The installation in the San Francisco Flower Mart is an example of how collaborations and friendships can lead to unexpected and surprising results as well as portraying a message in a beautiful way.”
IAN BERRY PERMANENT INSTALLATION IN SAN FRANCISCO
Where:
San Francisco Flower Mart, Kilroy Innovation Center (temporary location),660 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
