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

                                                           

12/1/14 Practice

Over the Christmas period I have focused my project more strongly into the major, minor and live projects and I think this will help me in developing each part further.  For the major project I will work on a large scale wall piece looking at network data. The minor project will work alongside this by using paper as my medium to create a series of drawings. For the live project, I am working towards the brief for the L'Auguille en Fete show in Paris in February.  By defining each section it has allowed me to further my work and ideas more clearly.

 

I visited the ‘Material Lab’ a material studio for designers and architects in London as I wanted to see if they had any potential surfaces that could be used for my major project as I wanted something that was more solid than fabric but not as rigid as wood. It was suggested I look into rubber and I also received some interesting wood and textur samples. It was a fascinating and insightful resource to visit as their selection of possible materials was endless and the samples of what could be done with certain materials was exciting.

                                                             Material Lab, London

I visited the Pens and Needles #2 at KK Outlet in Hoxton, London which had a series of digitally embroidered posters by a variety of designers based upon Kandinsky’s psychological test. It was very interesting to see what was produced by using a set of rules and a limited colour pattern and how different each piece was despite beginning with the same instruction. Through the means of digital embroidery it has shown the value of stitch as an alternative way of drawing and mark making, in particular as many of the designers involved do not usually work with embroidery.  

 

Pens and Needles #2

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

15/12/13 Practice

From my presentation, it was suggested that I look at transport fabrics and this idea led me back to my original research of looking at timetables and networks within Manchester. Initially I looked at the seating fabric of the buses in Manchester but due to the lack of variation I was soon drawn back to looking at the timetables and facts and figures surrounding the journeys.  This data has now become more enjoyable to work with in comparison to my ‘personal’ data as I feel that it is a set of accurate data that cannot be changed. By looking at the bus times and journey routes number I have translated them into a set of patterns whilst still incorporating the colours of the bus seat fabric.

For the live project I have begun to work on a larger scale which is something I have not taken on before. I initially was going to create my wall piece in a number of sections and join them up but after sampling this method, it became apparent that the joining stitch disrupted the flow of the piece. As a result I am working on one big piece of cloth which is proving more challenging but the effect and movement of the lines is then not lost.

I looked at the work of Richard Anuszkiewicz, who is a american painter and sculptor who works in a very optical way, regularly incorporating line in his work. I love his strong vivid use of colour and the combinations he puts together. Through his choice of colour, line thickness and repetitive geometric formation he allows us to really focus on the piece of work. 

         Richard Anuszkiewicz

8/12/13 Practice

My samples for the live brief for the L'Auiguille en Fete show in Paris have begun to take on a more optical look and the way on which the stitch and the line work together is reminiscent of the work of Bridget Riley. In her work she arranges and overlaps colours to give her work the impression of movement.  I have begun to look at how the arrangement of the lines and stitch together can create an interesting visual pattern by drawing as this is quicker than using the machines and stitching.

Although I have put aside the data visualation of my work for this part of the unit, I feel that there are still elements of this that are visible. The idea of movement has been continued, I previously was recording the physical action of movement but I am now creating movement through stitch and line.  Furthermore the repeat and parallelism of the lines is also reminiscent of my samples of recording data and using the thread as a measuring tool.

 

                                     Bridget Riley

 

 

 

1/12/13 Practice

I have put together my presentation this week which has been a useful process and helped me to bring all of my work together and establish exactly what it is I am doing. One of the most helpful parts of this is that it has allowed me to see what I am aiming for and what I want the final outcomes of the project to be.  Moreover it has made me realise I need to concentrate on the three parts of the project and what I intend to do for each one.

I continued to work on my machine samples and I am enjoying the process more and more as I can get quick results using a variety of different feet and stitches to give varying effects.  From these samples I have begun to look at what can be interpreted as a line and the idea of repetition as these are two elements that are regularly appearing in my work. 

24/11/13 Practice

I have continued my sampling given a stronger consideration to the composition of the pieces rather than just being a square or a rectangle. I looked at the work of the painter Sean Scully whose work is based on basic geometric shapes repeated in a variety of ways.  I found this interesting to look at as each shape within the work could illustrate a different section of information but all displayed in one large piece.

Using rubbings from my machine stitched samples I have explored varying compositions. The textural results have potential for development and further sampling, whether making them larger, adding colour or stitch.

 Sean Scully

 

17/11/13 Practice

This week I have been focusing on my context.I am aiming to create a collection of wall pieces that are based on using the thread as a measuring instrument. Alongside this I aim to create a series of paper based work. I want my work to have meaning and the information embedded within it and to be created in response to a set of data. The following designers are all working towards a similar context of where I see my work sitting.

Fay McCaul is a textile designer who uses traditional knitting methods to create textile surfaces for wall coverings, partitions and installations.  Her work can be found online at Bespoke Global as well as being seen at trade fair such as Clerkenwell Design Week and TENT, both in London . She also works to commison and will customise the work if required.

Fay McCaul

Emily Barletta is a artist who uses stitch as her method of drawing. Her hand embroidered work is created alongside scupltural crochet pieces.  Her work is shown through various exhibitions in America, most recently Repetition and Ritual at the Minnesota Musuem of Art. As well as being sold through online outlets such as 'Mammoth and Co' and 'Garage Gallery'.  This highlights that there is a market for stitched paper drawings to be created alongside more substantial work.

I visited the Special collections exhibition ‘The Language of Process: How New Materials and Technologies are Changing Product Design’. Within the exhibition there were two pieces by Fluid Forms, an Austrian company who focus on creating ‘design your own products’ based on factors such as location. It was a very worthwhile visit as it allowed me to see other products that are being aimed at being bespoke and commisioned and to see how they are marketing their products to the customer.

                                                     Fluid Forms

10/11/13 Practice

I have carried on using the idea of wrapping and using the thread as a method of recording. I used acrylic as I wanted illustrate the idea that you can reveal the process and see the workings of the piece. I am pleased with the outcome of my pieces and feel that they could be worked into even further. The layers could increased to make it more detailed and layered thus showing more information and creating a more interesting aesthetic. 

 

I discovered the work of Annika Syrjämäki who looks at data and then weaves with the information to create large scale pieces of textiles. The data is not always visible and allows the viewer to discover another layer to her work. I intend to have this element in my work, so that initially the work looks good but when looked into further the content behind the work becomes as important as the aesthetics. 

 

                                                Annika Syrjämäki

3/11/13 Practice

I have to explore the relationship between the thread and the surface further and how the thread interacts with different materials. I have begun to explore wrapping the thread and the results that can be achieved from this and I have enjoyed this process as I feel there is  potential to keep exploring and pushing the idea. By wrapping the thread I feel that I have a stronger connection to the material and that the drawings and flat surface embroideries are brought to life as the samples become more textural.

 

I have been able to further explore what a line can be and the work of Katherine Hinsberg demonstrates just how diverse the concept of a line can be. During the exhibition Cloth and Memory at the Salts Mill, she used a single red thread to represent the dimensions of the space of the room and then wove the thread.  Through using the line of the thread she has represented both the space and the history of the building, as it was originally a textile mill . The idea of using thread as a method of measuring  is something to explore, in particular in response to my thread wrappings.

Katherine Hinsberg