Shrouds and swaddling clothes of decomissioned Saints 1996

Jimmie Durham's 1996 artwork "Shrouds and swaddling clothes of decomissioned Saints" features two plastic laundry baskets filled with dirty, white cloth. The baskets, one red and one blue, are positioned in a corner against a white wall. Durham's work often uses found objects and everyday materials to explore themes of history, identity, and the constructed nature of meaning. The piece's title alludes to the historical practice of wrapping the bodies of saints in cloth after their death, but the present-day, mundane setting of laundry baskets and the dirty cloth suggest a more ambiguous and ironic meaning. The work invites viewers to contemplate the significance of objects, symbols, and cultural memory, and how these are constantly being reinterpreted and redefined.