The Environmental Textiles Course Environmental Textiles is a course based on the Textile Reader by Jessica Hemmings. This textbook addresses textiles as a distinctive area of cultural practice and introduces the theoretical frameworks essential to the exploration of textile from both a critical and a creative perspective. Content is drawn from a wide range of artists’ statements, fictional literature and critical writings. These works are then organized into themed sections. The two sections I chose to focus on were politics and touch in relation to cloth. These two themes were covered in detail through in-class discussions. The exchange of dialogue was especially valuable because of my peers’ varied backgrounds and majors, which made for a melting pot of perspectives. Our individual viewpoints on the topic were then displayed in the following two group exhibitions:
EXHIBITION 1: POLITICS Lipe Art Park W Fayette St. Syracuse, NY 13204 (315) 443-0320
The location of each exhibition provides a context for the objects and installations that emerge from each theme. Similarly, each exhibition space presents the work to an audience for evaluation extending the conversation to a broader framework. Exhibition 1 took place in Lipe Art Park in downtown Syracuse, NY. “Formally an abandoned train yard, Lipe Art Park... is now the city’s first art park and public green space...for the development of, display, performance and appreciation of all forms of art, in order to facilitate public/ community engagement with the ecological and cultural life of the city.” Our trip to the Rescue Mission inspired my installation for this exhibition. Exhibition 2 took place in the Sue & Leon Genet Gallery in The Warehouse. This Syracuse University building is a space dedicated to students enrolled in design majors. The following two pages feature my work for these two exhibitions.
EXHIBITION 2: TOUCH Sue & Leon Genet Gallery The Warehouse 350 W Fayette Ave. Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 443-4644
31