AUBURN – L/A Arts’ current exhibit in the Art & Ale window display at Gritty McDuff’s is different than any before it. Titled “Common Threads,” featured works are by artist Kristi Beck Touchette, who has created clothing out of unconventional materials, inspired by stories shared by her grandmother.

Combined with images of local mill workers reproduced from photographs courtesy of Museum L-A, “Museum of Labor and Industry,” the exhibit suggests the harsh realities of a not-so-distant time.

“I was inspired by stories my grandmother told me about growing up with little money and having to make the most of what was available,” said Touchette. “There was no running water, and clothing was often fashioned out of grain sacks.”

“I soon began thinking about the factory and millworkers – long hours, arduous work and child labor,” she said. “I have chosen to represent women, both old and young, in this exhibit. These garments serve both as reference points and visual containers for the body.”

The articles of clothing on display are nonfunctional. Touchette sees the contrasting materials used to create them – burlap and paper – as metaphors for the human spirit and shadows of the past.

“I am interested by what both paper and burlap imply as material,” Touchette said. “Burlap is a very rugged material. It can withstand a lot of abuse. It is not visually beautiful or comfortable. It is merely utilitarian. Paper has a certain impermanence and disposability. Its sterile surface, much like that of hospital gowns, lends a stark contrast to the raw quality of the burlap.”

The paper garments are sewn out of different types of papers. The shirt bodice is sewn out of dryer sheet-like paper, creating the illusion of lace. “Paper is very unforgiving and tears easily. These garments are not perfectly sewn. I have honored these ‘mistakes’ as they are part of the process,” Touchette said.

Pinned between the garments, which hang as if on a clothesline, are images of people working at local mills. L/A Arts Executive Director Andrew Harris immediately made the connection when Touchette approached the local arts agency requesting the exhibit. “As Kristi described her motivation for these garments, the first thing that came to my mind was how can we make this larger, to really connect with the community,” Harris said.

“Museum L-A was a natural partner,” he continued. “Rachel Desgrosseilliers, the museum director, was quite open to the idea, and Jessica Dumas, the museum assistant, was extremely helpful in suggesting images, which Kristi chose from.”

The garments in “Common Threads” are available for purchase through L/A Arts.

The Art & Ale window gallery is a free service for local artists, providing them with an opportunity to show and sell their work to the public. While the space is made available by Gritty McDuff’s, the artwork is selected and displayed by L/A Arts. To purchase art or to find out more about the window gallery, visit L/A Arts’ Web site at www.laarts.org; or call L/A Arts at 782-7228.