Skip to main content

Queer Artist, DARKRECONSTRUCTION, Transforms Fashion Waste into Sustainable Art at NYC's Poetry Festival

by Tia Shah

 

As part of NYC's poetry festival, located in Governor's Island, sat the piece "Shrine of Looms" created by queer artist, DARKRECONSTRUCTION. 


An immersive installation, "Shrine of Looms" serves to fuel the promotion of recycling and reusing waste textiles, depicting an alternate purpose within itself - the creation of art.

 

The concept takes it's inspiration from the 92 tons of textile waste produced each year, dumped for a purposeless future, only causing damage to the planet. 


Synthetic fabrics, which are the majority that end up in waste, do not biodegrade. These fabrics most often come from the hands of labourers, people suffering for garments with such short lives, and some printing processed require polluting chemicals, causing further damage and sacrifice.

The artist notes an element of lost integrity within the textile world. There used to be a sanctity to the art of textile, it's creation was a skill integral to most cultures, and pieces were cared for and looked after for generations. “Shrine of Looms” encourages a resurrection of respect owed to textile, deserving a longer life and better treatment.

 

Hundreds of long strips of painted cloth are suspended in the air. This cloth is sourced from a vendor that deals with remnant and waste textiles and therefore keeping them from landfill, a small act that could have a butterfly effect positive consequence. 


Hand painted by the artist, the work features bright, bold, attention demanding colours whilst ensuring a sustainable and ethical process of creation.

 

The artist states that the installation "draws on the universally familiar imagery of shrines, prayer flags, and the near-worldwide custom of tying a ribbon or cloth to a tree to make a wish or prayer." 


The religious imagery emphasises the desperation of the plea to utilise remnant textiles, a cry so strong that it has become a prayer. 


Reference to the custom of tying ribbons seems to suggest that this is the artist's wish. As well as this, the imagery adds to the immersive experience, creating an ethereal atmosphere the viewer can be a part of and interact with.

 


What could be argued to be the key detail of the installation is that visitors are invited to enter the exhibit and if they resonate with one of the unique pieces, the piece is cut down for them with the promise that it is kept in use and out of landfill. 


The artist has the goal for there to be no pieces of fabric left at the event, so as to repurpose the waste textile that was used. 


Not only does this make the viewer part of the art and aid its purpose of being immersive, but the art will also successfully demonstrate turning a remnant textile into a found treasure. 


The artist notes, "The only condition people had to agree to, in order to cut down a wish, is that they will do their best to keep the little wish forever. A little treasure.”

 

The rather enchanting installation of “Shrine of Looms” by DARKRECONSTRUCTION is clear in it's successful function to recontextualise waste textile into treasure and serves as an inspiration to other environmental and ethical artists.

 

Most Popular

Fashion For a Cause: Brands That Stand with Palestine and the history of fashion as a form of Activism

by Oana-Maria Moldovan For over two months, there has been an ongoing genocide war in Gaza. To simplify a long and horrific issue, the situation that started, on a larger scale, around one hundred years ago, and has only become amplified since October 7th 2023. Taking place around the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel–Lebanon border, the armed conflict is between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups.  The problem is about “stolen” land. Said land is seen as an important holy part of both religions involved. But really, how holy can we consider a land to be, if people kill other people for it? It’s important to remember that this genocide is about three things: forced occupation, zionism, and religion. It’s also important to remember what ethnic erasure is. This terrible expresion, also known as cultural or ethnic assimilation, refers to the process by which the distinct cultural or ethnic identity of a particular group is gradually diminished or erased, often due to...
Read more

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways.  Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or  b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simu...
Read more

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel ...
Read more