Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has seen many adaptations of conventional exhibitions toward online formats. Students in VISA 362, a third year photography class taught by Andreas Rutkauskas, were asked to consider what online dissemination of their photography can offer an audience. Branding and marketing as an artist are important skills in this time especially, therefore they were asked to consider using this assignment as a way of exploring a visual brand or alter ego.
Below is a snapshot of what one student, AJ Salter, completed for the project, a documentation exhibit on the benefits of sustainable clothing focusing on the education and exploration of natural dyes and sewing a garment by hand.
“For VISA 362O with Professor Andreas Rutkauskas, I ran this online exhibition for an assignment with the theme Speculative Exhibition. I believe that social media is a fantastic way to reach people and is relevant more than ever during the current socially distant times when people are still looking for ways to connect with others. I would like the content to revolve around continued themes I have already worked with, but in a new way.
After looking at fast fashion, vintage clothing, and discussing the importance of being mindful of wastefulness I curated an exhibition that documents a step-by-step process where I make a garment by hand starting with using locally sourced natural dyes to create the colours.
By documenting this process on social media, it allows viewers to follow along and learn the process as well as extra information and techniques I posted using the captions for the photos or videos as well as the story feature. I believe this added to my previous themes of fashion and waste and incorporated the element of time that also exists in my previous works; such as the time it takes to make clothing that is durable vs how long typical fast-fashion pieces made in bulk will be worn before being thrown out. From start to finish the exhibition was documentation and informational in nature, with the final product marking the end of the show.”
You can view the entire process on Instagram @botanicalcolourexhibition
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