June 2016 – Exploring Textiles

ATV Assignment 4 -A yarn collection

My aim should be to –

•demonstrate your ability to value all stages of the design development process

•build on your ability to be selective and analytical of your design and presentation decisions

Presenting work from projects 1 and 2

I enjoyed the design process of developing a suitable way of presenting my yarns.

I deliberately didn’t wrap yarns as I was going along and on surveying my collection very quickly rejected this idea as impractical, many of my yarns require space and winding them up would squash the structures do no favours to them. For the same reason a paper or card based option could present flattening issues.

I made a specification to work to:

Lightweight

Not too time consuming

Able to add to at later stage

Communicate themes

Visually accessible .

Solution

I quickly decided to use a lightweight nylon for the following reasons;

Fabric is more flexible than paper

Nylon can be heat cut with soldering iron(new toy) and won’t fray – I like frayed edges but a crisp approach seems more appropriate for this presentation.

I could have sketched all of my ideas, however my thoughts developed on the hoof at work and there simply isn’t a convenient moment during the day to stop and sketch. I first thought of a kite like structure to hold the pages rigid, this idea quickly seemed over engineered.

I cut some pages with my soldering iron – very pleasing process- I love the airiness and the crisp white is a great background to showcase my yarns. Some

Using elastic I can thread my yarns and add or remove them easily.

I made a simple folded pocket to contain the ends without anchoring them too firmly.

For my 1m developed yarns I tried a transparent pocket using yacht window, I think it is PVC – very sticky and difficult to sew. I tried ink jet transfer paper to put copies of the inspiration drawings but it did not work well so I used iron on bonding fabric to attach the photocopied drawings.

Using a polythene bag was easier to sew, but it doesn’t have the visual clarity, it did give a pocket for the image and I could seperate the dangerous yarn that tangles with everything it touches.

I added velcro in this pocket and the yarn wraps now stay in place.

I have made a pillow of yarns, a cloud of ideas.

I had in mind an elaborate macrame method of holding the pages in place but the elastic works just fine, I can add more pages at a later date.

Save

ATV 4- Reflection -yarn and linear exploration

ATV 4 – Project 2 – creating linear forms – Collage inspired yarn

I started with the collaged Stripe patterns from this exercise. The bright jewel like colours spoke ribbons so I raided my stash and visited the ribbon man (my local market is wonderful and full of treasures!)

Stitching and snipping, reassembling in different forms

I feel some success in colour proportions and I made some interesting rhythms of colour and shape, they are flat yarns.

I took the Wildly coloured collage and interpreted colours I could see. I laminated plastic bags, collaging colours and ironing them together, A laminating pouch was too rigid, polythene bags and bubble wrap more successful, I added a little stitching.

Cutting shapes and joining in different ways could easilly hold my attention for some time , however I do not have time on my side for now.

I simply could not move on without a nod to nature, I am more beguiled by Earths’ treasures, than our trash.

Bauhaus archive visit June 2016

The Bauhaus Archiv was designed by Walter Gropius and it was a joy to behold!

Afairly small space and unfortunately photos not allowed but the audio guide was really informative and also raised some interesting questions for me.

I sketched some of the objects on show and made copious notes.

I particularly liked the Wall hangings by Anne Albers here and Gertrud Arndt -tones of red ( I cannot find a clear image but this is similar and I like it too)

Painting Horizontal Vertical by Itten ( this is way more Jewel like in real life)and African chair by Marcel Breuer and Gunta Stulzl

There was a very interesting description of the teaching philosophies of Johannes Itten and and Joseph Albers that has given me food for thought and bought me back to this book – now heavily bookmarked with drawing techniques and approaches I’m interested in exploring.

My sketches of this series of paintings were pants!! They were produced for the birthday of Gropius (which was a holiday at the Bauhuas school) they were all based on the same photo of a political broadcast from a gramaphone placed on a stage.The Kandinsky on bottom right is a visual representation of audio process whilst Paul Klee bottom left considered What is said? What is understood?

a little more information here

Save