Factory Setting: the space of labor
Installation, Work, Architecture, Interiors, Political / Social, Landscape, Various materials, 366x427x228cm
Textile manufacturing is a complex global phenomenon. Our understanding of the very clothing that we put on each day, where it comes from, how it is made, who it is made by, is veiled within a network of contingencies. These contingencies, ranging from tariffs to labor market trends, dictate not only the final purchase price of each product, but inform a much larger economy of workers, socio-political forces, and even the landscape of contemporary cities. This project is a case study of textile manufacturing as both subject matter and process of making; it examines the trajectory of its industrialization and, by extension, reminiscent of other manufacturing industries such as the auto industry in Michigan. It is a rumination on issues of labor, its inherent values, and the notion of workers, both as individuals and as a collective force.
Drawing upon first-hand experience of the textile industry dating back to childhood, and more recently as a professional in architectural production, Factory Setting: the space of labor, points to the space of production and those who inhabit it. It is a reminder of the value of labor in textile manufacturing, from the material crafting of a learned trade, to the manual labor necessary for clothing production. It attempts to present the invisible value that is part of any garment, but missing from the label or the price tag. It offers a glimpse into the spaces of the contemporary garment factory, foreign to most in this country, but having a parallel in the industrial past that shaped the cities and social conditions that still surround us.
The installation at 2739 Edwin Gallery stages a factory setting - with a room-sized loom that is used to weave an approximately 366 X 427 cm blended photographic image of the spaces and activities of a clothing factory located in Shantou, China. (Lafayette 148 New York Global Headquarters) The images used for the weaving are generously provided by the Shanghai-based photographer But Sou Lai. For the duration of the show from August 10 to September 7, 2013, the labor of weaving was performed in the gallery during its opening hours. Visitors were encouraged to engage the author and witness the labor and processes necessary to produce the woven image. The finished weaving was displayed at the closing reception.
Drawing upon first-hand experience of the textile industry dating back to childhood, and more recently as a professional in architectural production, Factory Setting: the space of labor, points to the space of production and those who inhabit it. It is a reminder of the value of labor in textile manufacturing, from the material crafting of a learned trade, to the manual labor necessary for clothing production. It attempts to present the invisible value that is part of any garment, but missing from the label or the price tag. It offers a glimpse into the spaces of the contemporary garment factory, foreign to most in this country, but having a parallel in the industrial past that shaped the cities and social conditions that still surround us.
The installation at 2739 Edwin Gallery stages a factory setting - with a room-sized loom that is used to weave an approximately 366 X 427 cm blended photographic image of the spaces and activities of a clothing factory located in Shantou, China. (Lafayette 148 New York Global Headquarters) The images used for the weaving are generously provided by the Shanghai-based photographer But Sou Lai. For the duration of the show from August 10 to September 7, 2013, the labor of weaving was performed in the gallery during its opening hours. Visitors were encouraged to engage the author and witness the labor and processes necessary to produce the woven image. The finished weaving was displayed at the closing reception.
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