UNIT X - 25/4/14

It became apparent that I needed to explore the grounds I was working on further to provide a greater variation and find something more suitable. After visiting Berwick Street in London I discovered some more translucent fabrics such as Latex and Rip Stop, that have proven to be successful and are particular effect when displayed against light.

I visited the ‘Artist Textiles : Picasso to Warhol’ exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum which had some interesting and intriguing pieces. Althought designed for the Fashion and Accesories market there were several scarf designs there which provided me with further ideas of how I could divide and arrange components in a square for my wooden samples.  In Particular Wesley Simpsons scarf proved to be inspiring both in terms of the division of the square and creating a pattern with a pattern.

UNIT X - 4/4/14

Through the lasercut and etched shapes, a patchwork style has begun to emerge through the arrangement of the components. This has lead me to begin to explore artists who are interpreting the traditional term of patchwork in innovative ways.

Greely Myatt has created patchwork pieces using aluminium and road  signs.  Reusing materials was traditionally part of the patchwork process and through using recycled materials he is reviving this element of the process. His combination of primary colours and the use of geometry is reminiscent of my samples and reinforces how they can work well together.

Stephen Sollins creates patchwork pieces using the inside of envelopes. Through the varying patterns a very geometric pattern is achieved. I like how the repetition of a simple shape and a slight variation of pattern a interesting piece is achieved.

    Greely Myatt                                               Stephen Sollins

                                      

I submitted a proposal for the Vertical Gallery commission which was a worthwhile experience as it forced me to start to bring my ideas together and plan my time efficiently for the remainder of the unit.  The presentation part was slightly daunting, but presenting my ideas is something that I will have to do in the future and this was good practice of the process. It also made me consider factors such as costing, production timescale and installation. When I am creating samples these concerns are rarely considered and it made me fully consider how the sample could work on a larger scale.  

The open portfolio session with MMU textile graduates was very useful and it was very worthwhile to see how the portfolios have been compiled. I gained some useful information, such as good websites to use to create a online portfolio ( e.g WIX) and how to display images to show off the work to its full potential.  

UNIT X - 21/3/14

Continuing on from my data visualisation work from the last unit I have begun to look at  the information surrounding Manchester airport. I have chosen this source of data as it is a huge travel network with over 600 daily flights whilst also conecting Manchester with the wider world . Through looking at the travel movement, I have begun to manipulate the data and timings surrounding the arrival and departure of aircraft at Manchester airport, through the use of colour, proportion and placement.

I visited the airport and was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to have access to the fire station and the watch tower which gave a fantastic perspective of the terminals.  From these aerial images I have begun to draw to create a sense of the space to be incorporated into my work. The markings on the runways and the shapes created  when seen from above were particularly interesting as it showed the location from a new angle.

I looked into incorporating the destination the aircrafts were travelling to and arriving from through the country’s flag, focusing on the colour. But these drawings were not successful as the colours and shapes were too obvious and block like. In future work, I would like to incorproate this idea of representing the place (in this case the country) along with the data as it adds further meaning to the work.

Furthermore, I installed my work at Stockport Art Gallery for the exhibition ‘Irregularities’, a collective of work from Level 6 embroidery students   It was a great experience as I had the opportunity to personally install my work in a gallery and begin to learn about the considerations of curating a group exhibiton, such as promotion and professionalism of displaying.

23/02/14 Practice

I have put the abstract prints of the bus seat fabrics onto my compoments and I am happy with the results as it adds a new element to the samples. This is an area that I would like to experiment with further as I think that through adding pattern a interesting surface can be created through the joining of the shapes.  My samples have also become more tactile and textural than previously which is also another area to be explored.

In regards to furthering my work there are several elements that I would like to experiment more within Unit X. I intend to start to work on a larger scale and create bigger samples as I would like to realise a large scale interior wall piece. Whilst still exploring the concept of using numbers, I want to fully explore the possibilities of combining and layering colour and explore working with pattern further. I want to  create work that is still derieved from data but uses a set of figures that the viewer can relate to more easily, as the X57 bus route is very specific. This may be through national or global statistics or extracting numbers from the news.

Moreover, I also would like to continue my paper collection as it has really started to inform and develop my work. I would like to create a collection of paper pieces and potentially work on a book/catalogue that would illustrate my ideas and that could be distributed to potential retail outlets that may be interested in my work, such as Flow Gallery in London.

As the final weeks of the project have gone by, I have felt excited by the possibilites of my final samples and how these could really be pushed further and developed.  I just wish that these ideas had come earlier in the project. But moving towards Unit X, I am looking forward to fully exploiting the possibilites of combining data and embroidery to create unique textile pieces.

16/2/14 Pratice

By continuing to concentrate on what is on the surface rather than the surface itself, it has allowed me to push my ideas forward and experiment more.  It has become apparent to me that it is the texture, colour and pattern on the surface that I am interested in, rather than the ground that I am working into.  Using simple shapes, I have layered, repeated and stacked the components to create varying textures whilst still translating the numbers from the bus timetable into a pattern.

I received some photos of the work in Paris displayed at the show and it was great to see it as it was intended to be showed. Following on from the exhibition, the piece along with everyone else’s work is going to be shown at Stockport Art Gallery. This is an exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to being part of the full process of setting up an exhibition and learning more about the procedure of curating.
Crafts Council have a large range of oppurtunites that are posted on their website as well as useful guidelines in regards to seeking out gallery oppurtunites.

I have looked at the work of Anne Kyro Quinn who designs and produces a range of sculptural interior accessories using felt with a strong emphasis on three-dimensional structures. The studio create the pieces by hand and then work with architects and interior designers to create bespoke textiles for the commercial, retail and domestic environments. They have created work for the high profile corporations such as the BBC, Quator Airlines and the Hyatt Hotel Group. This is an area where I would like to see my work going, creating commissioned interior pieces whilst working and networking with architects and designers. 
 

                                       Anne Kyro Quinn

9/2/14 Practice

Through concentrating on the minor side to the project and working on my paper based pieces, it has started to inform and generate ideas for the major project. I have been experimenting with colour, shape, line and composition to create a series of finished paper pieces. It has been enjoyable as I have been able to quickly explore various possibilities and outcomes. This allows me to see how these could work with more substantial materials, such as acrylic or wood, that could be used on a larger scale within an interior environment.

Sandra Fettingis creates geometric sculptures and wall murals alongside a range of jewellery. Her patterned based pieces are shown in a variety of contexts, but predominantly in a gallery setting. Her jewellery work is sold in selected retail outlets as well as through a personal online shop. Through designing and making for two different contexts and varying scales it allows her work to become more diverse and further exposed.

I envisage my work to be seen within a similar context to her work, having a body of working concentrating on more durable and selected substrates combined with my paper work that is more accessible.

     Sandra Fettingis

                      

L'Aiguille En Fete, Paris

My piece of work for Paris is now complete and has been stretched onto a canvas. Having worked on the piece for several weeks it is exciting to see it all come together and produce the final image which I am pleased with. I feel that there is strong sense of movement within the work and this continues more generally with the idea of networking and mapping of my overall project.  It has been an enjoyable process to be able to create the piece from start to finish and begin to learn about the details of submitting work for exhibition.

I would like to continue exploring how through line a sense of movement can be achieved and begin to explore varying colour schemes and different materials to create the line. 

2/2/14 Practice

I have continued to experiment with taking the materials off the surface and this has continued to be inspiring and enjoyable.  By giving myself a set of rules, such as each number is a certain colour or shape,it has allowed a pattern to form that is out of my control and interesting patterns have begun to emerge. 

 

I packaged and labelled my work ready to be sent be sent off to Paris. It was an very worthwhile experience to be part of and to have the chance to create a piece from start to finish. It has also made me realise that the process of finalising a piece for exhibition takes longer than anticipated.

The Holden Gallery’s current exhibition, Diagrams, is a series of work that visually represent information. Each piece is visually illustrative but it is also embedded with meaning and data. Of the pieces exhibited I particularly liked the work of Langland’s and Bell who have created a piece (‘Logo Works’) based on the floor plans of offices set against a bold primary colour which creates a sense of a logo for the particular company. Through the use of information that can’t be changed a three dimensional, textural piece has been created.

                                                                Langlands and Bell

26/1/14 Practice

Having laser cut circular shapes onto acrylic and wood, I began to experiment with placing them on different surfaces to create different textures and patterns. However, it soon became apparent that I was more interested in what was on the surface rather than the surface itself. I took the laser cut components off the surface and this soon was far more interesting as a stronger sense of movement and texture was created. It has allowed me to be more experimental and work in a more 3 dimensional way by layering the pieces as I am not restricted by the rigidity of the surface. 

 

 

I went to Claire Ann O'Briens talk and it was a very interesting and worthwhile talk.  She discussed how she runs her business and sells her product ( knitted furniture) and listed several useful sources, such as Designers Block who put on design shows.  She also emphasised the imprtance of good quality and striking images, in particular for the use on blogs and in the press.  

Giles Miller Studio specialise in creating innovative surfaces  for interiors, hospitality and retail design projects. Through using simple shapes and repetition an interesting and sculptural relief  is created, often using wood, ceramic and metals. Their work has been commissioned by the V&A, Selfridges and the Design museum as well as showcasing the work at interiors shows such as Clerkenwell Design Week and the Surface Design Show. This has inspired me to continue using simple shapes in repeat as an interesting surface as I would love to have the oppurtunity to create work for similar clients.  

 

                              Giles Miller Studio

19/1/14 Practice

I have continued to explore and exploit the bus timetable for the X57 and see what patterns can be made from the numbers and time. I am still finding this interesting and see the scope for furthering my samples as the data is real and set in stone.  I have incorporated the bus seat pattern as it brings in more colour and a stronger sense of cohesion to the work.  Although only in the preliminary stages of sampling, I feel that the print is something that could be taken forward and developed.

 

 

 

Zara Atelj is a textile designer who uses everyday information to create textile pieces. Her Daily Pattern project explores designs based on real content such as the daily flow of news from newspapers to create home textile products. Through using complex information, she has managed to create simple but interesting designs that still retain the aesthetics. This element is something that I would like to incorparte into my work; digesting a complex timetable and creating a refined design using data that is factual. 

 

                                                        Zara Atelj