John Rash

"The Battle Vest is a wearable photographic essay representation of the thriving underground metal music community in Shanghai. The format of "battle vest" is a tribute to the vests and jackets metal and punk 
fans make to represent their favorite bands. However, this community only exists because of the fans, so 
my vest turns the camera away from the stage and onto the audience to acknowledge this reciprocal relationship.

The piece works as a means of displaying photographs of individuals, but taken as a whole 
is a documentation a specific community, time, and place. Adorded with metal spikes and studs, the 
handmade aesthetics echo folk art and the D.I.Y. ethos of this underground music community." (John Rash, 2025)