by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 29th of June 2026

“We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.”
~E. B. White~

“Laundry” by Phillipe Godfroid

In photography, both clotheslines and laundromats offer a compelling blend of visual contrast, texture, and shared human experience. They combine the ordinary with the unexpected, transforming a daily chore into a subject rich with artistic possibility.

Rows of hanging garments create rhythm, movement, and geometry, while organic shapes and vibrant colors stand out against gritty urban streetscapes, weathered buildings, or the stark machinery of a laundromat. Sunlight filtering through fabric, the repetition of washing machines, and the interplay of line, pattern, and form all provide endless opportunities for creative color combinations and expression. 

“Colorful Living” by Arnon Orbach

“s/t” by Carlos Lopes Franco

“Washing day” by Benjamine Hullot Scalvenzi

“Turtle lady sunbathing in her backyard” by Yvette Depaepe

“Floating Shack” by David Chia FF

“Window” by Marija Kordic

“frame life” by  S. Aktrk

“Colors of the Mediterranean” by Diana Junakovic

“Alfama Ballerinas” by Antonio Zarcó

Beyond their visual appeal, laundry scenes evoke universal themes of home, work, community, and routine.

They tell quiet stories about the people who wear the clothes and the lives that unfold around them. Whether photographed on a rural clothesline swaying in the breeze or beneath the fluorescent glow of a neighborhood laundromat, laundry has the power to transform the mundane into visual poetry.

“Life” by Alp Yetimoglu

“Laundry” by Tahsin Gun

“467” by Antonio Grambone

“city mirror” by Roswitha Schleicher-Schwarz

“Laundry Day” by Alin Federiga

“Italian Facade 4” by Igor Shrayer

“The Watchcat” by Nicoleta Gabor

Lens Culture did a series on “laundry art” by the photographer Wing Ka Ho who documents the challenge of finding space to dry clothes in highly dense Hong Kong. Quoting Wing Ka Ho. “In the "laundry art" series, the photographs are neither landscapes nor documentation, but a hybrid of the two. I have been trying to bring together two elements which seem opposed into one picture although these photographs may appear surreal, they are actual documentation of use of laundry from Hong Kong public space.

In the “laundry art” series of photographs, citizens respond to their own needs and discover, create and utilize the public spaces that belong to them. The art of clothes drying can be seen everywhere in Hong Kong. Some people carry their own clothes lines by skillfully using ropes and lamp posts, or ingenious use of the environment. It is inadvertently adding vitality to public spaces. Although drying clothes in public places still have grey areas in the law. I sincerely admire the laundry skills and adaptability of Hong Kong residents.”

It’s a fascinating series and well worth a look. 

“Pali” (Rajasthan) by Roxana Labagnara

“laundry” asit

“Tote Hose” by ambra

“3-6-1” by Mustafa Tarik Olmez

“Hope” by Christoph Hessel

“Till The Clouds Roll By” by hardibudi

“Il bucato” by Raffaele Corte