GLOBAL COLOR: A YEAR OF SOLO TRAVEL
Photos and text from the October 2012 Show at City Clay, (Charlottesville, Va).
SHOW INTRODUCTION
THE WATSON FELLOWSHIP
This exhibit is my reflection from a year, traveling alone, on a Watson Fellowship. The Thomas J. Watson fellowship is a grant offered to college seniors from selected liberal arts colleges to explore a project of their design, outside of the US, in counties where they have never before traveled. They cannot return to the US for 12 months and they cannot attend universities or be employed in any traditional manner. The objective is not necessarily to produce a body of work, develop a sustainable cooperative, or write a thesis but to foster “resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership,” and to build a deeper connection to communities outside of the United States. (Read more about the fellowship at their website: www.watsonfellowship.org).
MY PROJECT
Clothing has always been a great spark for my own dialogs. It starts conversations. It tells stories of the past. It preserves truths and glorifies myths. It is visually and culturally rich. This year I did not aim to study clothing in a traditional sense, or look for trends at fashion shows. I wanted clothing to be my connection to other people. I learned that I could not easily have a conversation with an elderly Indonesian woman, but she could teach me to weave, laugh at my mistakes (which were many), and smile at my efforts. In this way, through activity and shared interest I was able to learn from people I might never have otherwise had an excuse to meet. Through 12 months of travel, language barriers, and countless nights of uncertainty, clothing and textiles led me to a few wonderful people whose stories resonate even when heard half way around the world.
THIS SHOW
I hope that this exhibit will give you a small glimpse of the people who so graciously adopted me this year. Each piece of cloth has many stories. The fabrics are made in places with big, wild families, in circles of gossip with infinite, tiny cups of coffee, with children in the background running and throwing things at each other. They are made as an excuse to socialize, and as a way to preserve stories from the past. When you look at these pieces, you see a portion of someone’s life. You see the thoughts, worries, and wishes that are woven through the hands of the men and women making them. You see other people’s vanity and their desire to be admired. You are intimately connected with someone you will never meet.
I hope you will be filled with the same joy that they shared with me. And I hope that you will be able to pull your own inspiration and wild ideas from the creativity and playfulness shown by this small group of truly fantastic people.
- A. R. Temmink
This exhibit is my reflection from a year, traveling alone, on a Watson Fellowship. The Thomas J. Watson fellowship is a grant offered to college seniors from selected liberal arts colleges to explore a project of their design, outside of the US, in counties where they have never before traveled. They cannot return to the US for 12 months and they cannot attend universities or be employed in any traditional manner. The objective is not necessarily to produce a body of work, develop a sustainable cooperative, or write a thesis but to foster “resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership,” and to build a deeper connection to communities outside of the United States. (Read more about the fellowship at their website: www.watsonfellowship.org).
MY PROJECT
Clothing has always been a great spark for my own dialogs. It starts conversations. It tells stories of the past. It preserves truths and glorifies myths. It is visually and culturally rich. This year I did not aim to study clothing in a traditional sense, or look for trends at fashion shows. I wanted clothing to be my connection to other people. I learned that I could not easily have a conversation with an elderly Indonesian woman, but she could teach me to weave, laugh at my mistakes (which were many), and smile at my efforts. In this way, through activity and shared interest I was able to learn from people I might never have otherwise had an excuse to meet. Through 12 months of travel, language barriers, and countless nights of uncertainty, clothing and textiles led me to a few wonderful people whose stories resonate even when heard half way around the world.
THIS SHOW
I hope that this exhibit will give you a small glimpse of the people who so graciously adopted me this year. Each piece of cloth has many stories. The fabrics are made in places with big, wild families, in circles of gossip with infinite, tiny cups of coffee, with children in the background running and throwing things at each other. They are made as an excuse to socialize, and as a way to preserve stories from the past. When you look at these pieces, you see a portion of someone’s life. You see the thoughts, worries, and wishes that are woven through the hands of the men and women making them. You see other people’s vanity and their desire to be admired. You are intimately connected with someone you will never meet.
I hope you will be filled with the same joy that they shared with me. And I hope that you will be able to pull your own inspiration and wild ideas from the creativity and playfulness shown by this small group of truly fantastic people.
- A. R. Temmink
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