A friend mentioned something called ‘trash the dress’ to me recently. There are numerous websites on the internet devoted to this activity. Basically it involves re-photographing someone’s wedding dress in unlikely contexts, i.e. scrapyards, rubbish tips, etc. This is undertaken by professional photographers who then produce a portfolio or album of ‘trashing’ the dress. But they do not trash it! Instead the bride is ‘artfully’ posed amongst the concrete and sludge or whatever usually without a speck of dirt to be seen. Fascinating (initially). Surreal at times. And serious (really). Judge for yourself. It’s taking up too much of my time!
Closer to my heart is the wonderful website ‘Stories of Cloth’ by artist Lesley Sutton working in conjunction with photographer Paula Keenan. Anyone who has a Textiles background such as myself will be familiar with the notion of the importance of textiles from cradle to grave, shawl to shroud etc. This particular site deals specifically with personal accounts of the attachment of meaning to individual garments, shoes, cloth and so forth. I really hope this project will evolve and grow.
