For many, denim is a wardrobe staple, but for London-based artist Ian Berry, it’s a creative medium. Over the past two decades, Berry has utilized the familiar navy blue fabric to craft intricate installations, iconic portraits, and even photorealistic depictions of California. His latest work, titled “Secret Garden,” continues to demonstrate the innovative and unexpected ways denim can be transformed. This installation, currently on display at the Garden Museum in London, reimagines a serene setting complete with a fish pond, flowers, and vines—all meticulously fashioned from recycled denim jeans. Initially exhibited at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York in 2017, the Secret Garden has since been showcased in various site-specific locations and galleries around the world. Although originally designed to engage a young audience and encourage them to reflect on our interaction with nature, its universal appeal continues to captivate visitors of all ages.
“The idea came from thinking many kids don’t have their own gardens and thinking of community gardens nestled away in between buildings and trying to inspire them to seek them out,” Berry explains to My Modern Met. “It also gave the opportunity to talk about sustainability as well as helping young minds think about where things come from.” Berry even introduced children to a cotton plant to illustrate the origins of denim, delighting in their amazement at the plant-to-pants transformation. Although the most recent Secret Garden installation isn’t exclusively for children, it still evokes a sense of childlike wonder. Visitors can stroll through the denim garden path, under wisteria and vines, and admire various indigo-shaded plants and flowers, including roses, alocasias, begonias, and cacti. The centerpiece of the garden is a tranquil pond with denim Koi fish, lily pads, and a central water feature. The level of detail in every part of the garden is so extraordinary that it’s easy to forget the entire installation is handmade from denim. The Secret Garden will be on display from July 13 to September 8, 2024, at the Garden Museum, with a range of complementary activities and workshops inspired by the installation available for all ages, fostering creativity and appreciation for sustainability.
