Abstract
IndiGrowing Blue and I am Ai, We are Ai were two projects developed by Rowland Ricketts that used indigo to build community. IndiGrowing Blue communally engaged interested individuals in the labor of growing and processing indigo in order to foster community. I am Ai, We are Ai connected the indigo farmers and processors of Tokushima, indigo dyers throughout Japan who use the indigo from Tokushima, and the end-users of the indigo dyed cloth through a series of interactive installations. This article outlines the two projects and describes the differences in the types of communities that developed in each.
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Rowland Ricketts
Rowland Ricketts utilizes natural dyes and historical processes to create contemporary textiles that span art and design. Trained in indigo farming and dyeing in Japan, Rowland received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2005 and is currently an Associate Professor in Textiles at Indiana University’s Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art. His work has been exhibited at the Textile Museum (Washington, DC), Cavin-Morris Gallery (New York), and Douglas Dawson Gallery (Chicago). Rowland is a recipient of a 2012 United States Artists Fellowship.