Part Four: Project 8 - Interlude

Analysing Colour, Texture and Proportion

Analysing how colour and texture have been composed in a painting or other image.

I have to choose a postcard that I like because of the colour and texture in the image; then reproduce accurately all the colours that I can see in the postcard.
Once that is completed I must look for yarns that interpret the texture and surface qualities, as well as the colours found, in the source material; then I must make a yarn wrap.

I have a collection of yarns that I have been given, or bought over the years - I know that this collection takes up quite a bit of space in my storage cupboards.
What I am worried about is that I will have the textures, but not the colours of yarn for this project; or the right colours but not the texture required.
Although I am really happy at the thought of recycling garments, papers, wires etc for yarn.

While starting the 'Interlude' to Project 8 I am also working on Stage 1 at the same time.
Stage one requires you to sort out the yarns you have - the ones that are currently in bags, boxes, drawers around the house.
As the interlude requires you to make a yarn wrap - to match the colour and texture of the picture you have chosen - it made sense to work on both at the same time.

The image that I have chosen is by Kurt Jackson (link to an earlier post featuring his work is here) "For Bruce Chatwin, Aug 2005" - created using mixed media and collage on hessian.
This picture is from Kurt Jackson: A New Genre of Landscape Painting p81.

Kurt Jackson: For Bruce Chatwin Aug 2005

The image is full of texture, from the hessian it is painted on, to the textured marks scratched through the layers of paint.
I love the colours that are in this picture, you can feel the heat, see the sunshine.
The painting is part of Kurt Jackson's 'Kardamili' series - these were created in Kardamili, which is a small village on the coast of the Mani Peninsular in Greece.

I started, as the course book suggested, by reproducing the colours that I could see in the painting.
This had to be done in daylight, as soon as artificial lights go on, the colours seem to magically change.

This was the part of the paper where I tried out the colours - some worked, some didn't.
I made notes showing which colours were mixed together to get the sample.

Sampling the colours

The colours that worked were painted in a larger block - again, notes were made regarding the composition of each mixed colour.

Swatches of colours that 'worked'

With my picture and my paint swatches in hand I moved on to the next stage.
A yarn wrap - I had to search through my yarns to find ones which not only had the right colour, but also the right texture and finish.

Although I enjoyed doing this part, I still find it hard to find materials that cover all the above - I have a wide range of yarns - but not in every colour; I have textured yarns - but not in all colours; I have a limited quantity of different finishes in the yarns I own - this may be where I start to make yarns from fabrics etc to fill in this gap.

This is my finished yarn wrap:

Yarn Wrap

This is the yarn wrap 'in situ' - next to the source material

Yarn wrap next to the image

Studying the finished wrap next to the paint swatches and image, I can see that some parts worked well, and other parts may need some work.

• the yarns are too similar in thickness - although I did manage to find some thicker yarns and some finer yarns to break it up.
• The shades of greens are limited - green yarn is not something I have a lot of, but it was amazing how 'brown' some of the greens were.
• The textured yarns I have are mostly soft and fluffy, having a range of textures would have been better - some raffia would have worked well. I did find some really nice coarse, thick twine to add in though.
• I was able to find a yellow yarn with a shiny finish to it - It would have been nice if I had more of this type of yarn - the shine on the yarn brought it forward to the eye.
• The reds in the image were almost a browny orange in colour - the only yarns that I had that worked colourwise, was a Kidsilk Haze, this was very fine; or the hand-dyed Noro yarn, a thicker yarn. All the other red yarns I had were too 'red'

I know that there will always be issues when trying to match yarn to paint - one has a naturally textured finish, the yarn; the other is flatter and can be made up of layers of colour, the paint.
This exercise really makes you think about how a piece is constructed, how the colours work together and in what kind of proportion.

I hope that the more I practice this the better my colour choices and design planning will become.

I have repeated the exercise with another Kurt Jackson image from the same book (link earlier in the post)
This image is "Who's Watching Who?" by Kurt Jackson 2001

Kurt Jackson: Who's Watching Who? 2001

This is an image with beautiful colours. It seems so peaceful, yet has an ominous sky hovering above the foxgloves.

I skipped the painting part of this exercise and just pulled out balls and balls of yarn.
Having narrowed my choices down I made a yarn wrap, again looking at colour, texture and finish.
The finished yarn wrap:

yarn wrap

The yarn wrap next to the image it was inspired by:

Yarn wrap next to the image

Again I am happy(ish) with the finished result:

• I like the shades of greens/yellows that I had in my collection - but feel a little more texture in the yarns towards the bottom would have been good, they would have 'come forward' more.
• There is quite a lot of light on the photo which makes the pinks/purples seem more lilac in the image above - if you go back to the scanned image (the first one for this picture) above you can see the oranges and pinks that I chose for this yarn wrap. Here the colours at the bottom seem almost too strong - maybe a slightly paler shade of some of the colours might have been better.
• The colours of the sky match well - but some more texture towards the top would help with the perspective conveyed in the painting.
• Looking at my yarn wrap now I am wondering how 'proportionate' my yarns are in comparison to the picture, I may have got carried away with the wrapping towards the end - I do like the fluffy yarns though.

I will try to introduce this technique to my sketchbook work - it really makes you start to examine your work closely.

Part Four: Project 8 - Understanding the Textile World

Investigating the work of the textile artist.

Textile art emerged into my life when I lived in Winchester in the mid 1990's.
I was aware of craft and textiles as items to be treasured, to be held and to be loved.
Yet I was still unaware that they could be an art form in their own right.

It was while I was creating an embroidery, one that I had started before my daughter was born, I met another lady who was interested in embroidery and textiles - she changed my preconceptions and my interests in art.

I had been invited to bring my embroidery because she would really like to see it, and we would have tea, the children were the same age, they could play - it was a nice afternoon and one that would open my eyes to the possibilities of textiles.

I was so pleased with my work, it was based on a piece of fabric that I owned. I had matched the colours, blended and mixed them and worked for hours.
It was originally intended to be a cushion; I have had it framed and it still hangs on my wall.

My Bargello embroidery

The lovely lady was Alice Kettle.
I felt like hiding my piece once I had seen the work that featured on the walls of her house - her pieces of embroidery - I wasn't allowed to hide my work, she looked at it, appreciated it and gave me so much encouragement.

I think I fell in love with textile art at that point.
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Textile art emerged onto the art scene in the 1960's with the help of some of these textile pioneers.

Constance Howard, MBE (1910 - 2000), set up the Department of Embroidery at Goldsmith's College, London in 1948. It is said that she:

'helped to raise embroidery from the status of genteel hobby to that of an art form.'

In 1962, Jennifer Grey, Alison Erridge and Joy Clucas became founder members of the 62 Group. Jennifer Grey stated:

'We wanted to make a difference in people's attitude to embroidery and share our excitement with fabrics, stitching, textiles and colour.'

The question they asked themselves was:

'How do we get contemporary embroidery and textile art exhibited and recognised as a serious art form so it can take its rightful place alongside the fine arts?'

The 62 Group has just celebrated its 50th birthday.
In the past five decades they have held over 85 exhibitions across the UK and abroad.

Also in 1962, The International Biennale of Tapestry in Lausanne was established. This was a:

'showcase for experimentation in textile art'.

The Bienniales would enable tapestry to be seen by the public and to create an awareness of the changes that were going on in contemporary tapestry art.
The exhibitions became major events and the tapestries became known not just as decorative textiles, but as art forms in their own right.

In the 1960's the gap between fine arts and crafts was huge, galleries would not give wall space to contemporary embroidery and innovative textile art.
Today the gap is smaller, galleries and museums are more aware of the demand for high quality, innovative textile exhibitions.

Although the gap is less, I still believe it exists.
There are still people who see anything that is textile as 'craft'.

The difference between textile artists and designers, designer-makers or craftspeople is that there is now:

'a distinct move away from a focus on technique towards the use of stitch and other techniques as a medium for personal expression. Idea and intention take precedence; only once these are established does the practitioner select the medium and technique in which to carry them out.'
Jennifer Harris  - Deputy Director and Curator (Textiles), The Whitworth Art Gallery.

For me this means that a textile artist is primarily an artist who use textiles as their means of expression, rather than the crafts person whose prime concern is the execution of textile pieces.

The two internationally known artists that I am going to feature are Alice Kettle and Michael Brennand-Wood.

Alice Kettle
Born in Winchester, Hampshire, in 1961.

"My work occupies a relaxed middle-ground between fine and applied art. When I made the change from painting to embroidery I was aware that the two activities are closely related, but embroidery was a medium which helped me to express my individuality. We have grown up together."  Alice Kettle "The Eye of the Needle" p.24

Alice Kettle at work on "Looking Forwards to the Past"

Alice Kettle works with machine embroidery, but this description of her work does not do justice to the scale, colour and textures of her pieces and the stories they tell.

Some of her pieces are huge, the one featured in the picture above measured 16.5m x 3m at it's completion.
This work "Looking Forwards to the Past" now hangs in the Winchester Discovery Centre.
It took over a year to make, nine large panels were joined together (with other smaller panels) to create the final work.

For inspiration, Alice looked at different themes from Winchester's history; the past, the present and the future. She explains:

"I am aware that this is a piece that has to have a life into the future. It has got to outlive me and my children, so it can't be rooted stylistically anywhere in particular. I wanted it to have a contemporary feel, but something that would also have a sense of moving forward. That is why I let colour lead me because colour is something that transcends time."  "Alice Kettle at the Winchester Discovery Centre", p.2

This is a powerful and beautiful piece of work.
There is such a variety of threads used, over 21, some are thick, some are thin, there are metallic threads and there are threads with a matt finish; this use of threads and the amount of stitching used on the cloth creates so much texture on the surface of the cloth.
It has been hung in an area where there is a lot of natural light, it 'shimmers with the changing light and gives the piece a sense of rhythm and movement.'

Alice works on cloth, her sewing machine has the foot removed and all dials are set to zero. The fabric is moved under the needle to create the stitching line. Although she will work on top of the fabric, sometimes using 2 or more threads through the needle, once the threads she has chosen are too thick, they will be wound onto the spool and the fabric is worked on from the back.

Working from the back of the cloth, and the sheer scale of the work, means that looking and reviewing the work constantly is impractical.
However, Alice will take out the work to study it, she will, if necessary, cut out certain areas and add in new cloth.
It is a great way of working, you cannot tell in advance how much the cloth and the design will contract once you have stitched the area heavily, by being able to cut out and add in new fabric means that she never has to abandon a work entirely.

I was in Winchester over the summer and had the pleasure of sitting next to this artwork while I was in the Discovery Centre.
It is incredible to see when viewed from outside, and the close-up view lets you see the work, the texture, the colour, the movement in the piece. (Link to the images here)

"Looking Forwards to the Past"

Having completed a degree in Fine Art at Reading University, 1979-1984, Alice went on to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Textile Art at Goldsmiths' College, 1985-1986.

Machine stitching is Alice's choice of 'painting tool', not only does it allow her to mix colour in a similar way to painting, but by re-stitching and re-working an area it allows her to create three dimensional surfaces, ripples and shadows on the surface.
She has always worked with an intuitive approach, often drawing straight on to the fabric.

Her influences are painters such as Boticelli, for his depictions of graceful, feminine figures; Howard Hodgekin, who uses colour to convey emotion; Matisse whose paper cut-outs continue to resonate:

"I can see parallels between embroidery and the cut-outs. In embroidery you are putting two threads together, you can only place them next to each other. It's exactly what Matisse was doing with the paper cut-outs, using scissors to create gesture. And, as with embroidery, you can read them as purely decorative, but there's so much more to them than that." Alice Kettle, "Eye of the Needle" p.17

Michael Brennand-Wood
Born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1952.

Michael Brennand-Wood works with embroidery, pattern, lace and floral imagery.
His interest in textiles came from his Grandmother, he learned to sew and knit before the age of ten.
His interest in wood came from his Grandfather who was an engineer and keen wood worker.
Both of these people became major influences in Michael's career as a textile artist.

Michael Brennand-Wood's work first came to my attention through glossy adverts that were running in the textile magazines to advertise his new exhibition "Field of Centres"
The work was colourful, pretty, eye-catching, I loved it.
I then saw the work up close when I was on a residential course at Chichester (possibly 2005) and Michael was running one of the summer school courses (I was on one with Gwen Hedley) there.
I realised there was so much more to the work than I had assumed.

The pieces that I saw ranged in size, from 40cm square to a metre square.
Here is Michael Brennand Wood's Crystallized Movements 2004 (link to the photo's is here)

Crystallized Movements

Initially pretty, colourful and flowery, once you get closer you see what is going on in the layers beneath.

'Stars Underfoot' was a series of photographs taken by photographer James Austin in 2001-2, these were images of real flowers that had been arranged, by Michael Brennand-Wood, in geometric patterns.
These photographs were the basis for the exhibition 'Field of Centres'

'Crystallized Movements' (image above) was one of the first pieces to be developed from this work.
The real flowers in the original photographs were replaced by computerised embroidered flower heads.

Drawings of the flower heads were scanned, then using computerised software and specialised sewing machines each flower was constructed using different threads and colour combinations.
Each flower head was unique, the ones with stripes represent his fathers World War II medal ribbons.
Other materials used in this piece are: cloth, fabric, collage, thread, wire, glass, plastic, paint and flower heads on piano wire.

From a distance the flowers sit on a white background - close-up you discover the white background is made up of a thousand toy soldiers trapped in white acrylic paint.

"Between the blossoms are channels, in a chalky white colour, of another more chaotic pattern in which something disturbing is hidden - thousands of toy soldiers trapped, frozen in space and time, glued to the wood, drenched in paint......... Dead or alive these little figures are trapped in a terrifying sarcophagus-like hell"

Pricked by a needle, Joseph McBrinn 2009 article in "Pretty Deadly" - new work by Michael Brennand-Wood

Flowers have always been closely associated with war, Michael Brennand-Wood states that the inspiration for this piece was events such as the Gulf War.
In the First World War the poem "In Flanders Fields" uses the poppy as a powerful image.
The poppy is sold every year for remembrance day - so that 'we will never forget'.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row.
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

by John McCrae, May 1915

What could be seen as patterning in the placement of the flowers within Crystallized Movements is also the depiction of a flag. Brennand-Wood makes use of the visual iconography of the flag throughout the pieces that make up Field of Centres.

Brennand-Wood states:

the direct use of pretty elements to seduce the viewer is quite deliberate and in my mind analgous to the use of beautiful flowers to render death, palatable an less offensive.

In the notes next to this quote in the essay "Pricked by a Needle by Joseph McBrinn in Michael Brennand-Woods book - Pretty Deadly, Joseph McBrinn mentions that:

Michael Brennand-Wood would, without question, make an original, intriguing and challenging, choice as an Official War Artist.

                                                       --------------------

I don't think that either Alice Kettle or Michael Brennand-Wood could be described as simply textile artists or embroiderers, the ideas they use are almost 'too big' the work has too many layers all of which convey a deeper meaning.
They both create beautiful pieces of work but the imagery they use is there to tell a bigger story.


References:

Constance Howard
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1349752/Constance-Howard.html
http://www.gold.ac.uk/constance-howard/constance/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2000/jul/20/guardianobituaries1 

62 Group
62 Red: Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 62 group of Textile Artists

http://www.62group.org.uk/
http://alicekettle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ak348.jpg


International Biennale of Tapestry
http://www.bienale.lt/2011/?p=391&lang=en 

Alice Kettle
Eye of the Needle: The Textile Art of Alice Kettle
Mythscapes: Alice Kettle
Mechanical Drawing: The Schiffli Project
Alice Kettle at the Discovery Centre ISBN: 1900756471

Selvedge Magazine: Issue 23. p58-60. "Mechanical Data: Jump threads and tension in the Schiffli Project" by Beth Smith.
Selvedge Magazine: Issue 44. p46-47. "Strong Influence" by June Hill.

http://alicekettle.co.uk/
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/wdc/alice-kettle.htm
http://www.artzu.co.uk/homepage/multi-column/embroidery-fine-art-manchester/

Michael Brennand-Wood
Michael Brennand-Wood: Field of Centres
Michael Brennand-Wood: You Are Here
Pretty Deadly: New Work by Michael Brennand-Wood

Selvedge Magazine: Issue 45. p56-59. "Readymade Redux" by Joseph McBrinn

http://www.brennand-wood.com/index.html
http://www.themaking.org.uk/content/makers/2011/02/michael_brennand_wood.html
http://www.clothandculturenow.com/Michael_Brennand-Wood.html
http://www.westdean.org.uk/Tapestry/News/TransformerTapestryforCollect.aspx
http://www.lostinlace.org.uk/artists/michael-brennand-wood
http://www.transitionandinfluence.com/gallery/main.html

Part Four: An Introduction

Textile Structures
In the previous projects we have drawn, printed or stitched onto an existing surface, paper or fabric.
The emphasis on the next two projects, 8 and 9, is to explore the creation of fabric - to construct the surface.

This time our visual ideas, previously expressed through the development of imagery, will be expressed by combining fibres, colours and textures - creating simple structures with a tactile surface.

The exploration of constructing textiles will start with the process of interlacing, this includes:

• weaving
• plaiting
• knotting

Using these processes we will be able to convert 'line', (materials), into 'area', (fabric).
Line: this represents materials such as: knitting wool, ribbon, strips of fabric, dried grass, animal hair, strips of wood, wire etc.
These will then be made into 'constructions' that will hold together and form flat 2D fabrics, or 3D structures.

I am looking forward to the projects in this assignment as I have always wanted to try some of the techniques.
I bought two small looms and have some basic equipment to make braids with.

I am also armed with these indispensable guides from Reader's Digest:

One of my 'go to' guides

Another 'old' favourite

Although these books are from another era, the advice and techniques haven't changed... macrame pot holder anyone?

Part Four: Pausing between assignments 3 & 4

Having managed to work to the deadline set for Assignment 3, I am now able to start Assignment 4.

I have two months to complete the next two projects - I am hoping that my new pace of working will stay with me throughout the entire degree course.

I have enjoyed working to a deadline - although the stress this induces is indescribable.
Some of the positive effects of working to the given deadline have been:

• I can remember which piece I am working on and can continue to develop the work easily.
• Writing up the projects as you go is easier than having to remember your thought processes from memory.  

I have received good feedback from my tutor for Assignment Three, so I know that I am 'going in the right direction' and continuing to improve my work practices. She also gave me some very constructive advice regarding my work.

Some of the very positive comments have been in relation to using 'primary source material' - my own drawings and photography.
Also, on my 'work being backed up by thought, objective reflection and extensive referencing of contemporary artists and designers'

Using primary source material has come naturally to me, but putting my thoughts down, reflecting and including referencing has taken some time to develop.
But, I think my work is better for it.

For the Stage 3 sample the comment 'your sample seemed a bit 'flat' was noted.
I really liked my composition, I could relate it to a design that could be used on clothing, it had worked.
When I showed the two finished samples to friends and colleagues - they loved the sample that I made for stage 4, and skipped over the stage 3 sample.
It was a 'bit flat'.

Sample for Stage 3

Sample for Stage 4

What is great is to have the feedback so that I will not make the same mistakes again.
Lots of suggestions were given to me so that I can improve the piece, also the suggestion to 'mix media'.

I think sometimes we read the outline for the project, and stick to it rigidly, whether the piece could do with more development or not.
Possibly, because I already know how to applique made me less creative with it?

This will be put to the test with the next assignment which is based around weaving - I have not done any weaving before, maybe this will be me at my most creative.

My theme of 'discarded' was described as a good choice and my tutor added 'don't worry if this idea takes you into areas which seem to be a long way from the starting point'.
I am still excited by the theme, but also just a little terrified of the final project.
However, I have been collecting some interesting materials which may be used in the finished piece

Empty, used, 'discarded' tea bags

Suggested reading was:

• Pharmacopoeia by Susie Freeman, and
• In Good Repair by Dorothy Cauldwell.

Having thought initially that I hadn't heard of either of these artists, I was surprised to see that I 'knew' at least one of them.

I was in the UK in May and went to the British Museum where I saw the Pharmacopoeia exhibition, I took photographs and notes at the time - so will endeavor to write this up.
Dorothy Caudwell was new to me and the work is interesting and exciting.

Another note for improvement was regarding sketchbooks - to include 'scans of working notebooks' in the blog, this would 'include any primary source material which may relate to the course work'.
The 'keeping a sketchbook' part of the course is still hard, I may be over-thinking what a sketchbook is.

Any background information regarding a piece of work is good information - all those thoughts and ideas I have should be noted down....in among the photo's, sketches and articles.
It's just a case of organising the information in a way that the assessors can find it all easily.

My aim for the next assignment is to keep working to a deadline.
To include all my thoughts, ideas and reflections on my progress.

Also to keep working on my theme book in preparation for the final assignment.

Part Three: Project 7 - Starting a Theme Book

A Theme Book? So many ideas, so little time to do them all..

The course book says that this should be a book of visual information based around a theme of your choice.
What happens in the theme book will contribute to project 10, which is the Design Project.

The main remit in choosing a theme is that I should be able to respond to it with excitement and involvement.
Some of the suggestions are flowers, machinery, buildings, landscapes, animals, birds, dreams, textiles of other cultures, children's toys, things from your home environment......

I have had some ideas, so will share my thought process so far.

First thought:
I started with the words

• Reflections
• Natural forms

I wanted to have a word that sparked a conversation, a narrative and although I knew that I could use either of these words successfully, I felt limited by the thought of where either of them would lead.
I worry that I may be making things too complicated, simple is often best.
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Second thought:
Another favourite theme that I return to again and again, but never take it further:

• Maps and Journeys

I listed the ideas that were sparked by these words:

• A travel journey
• A day in your life
• How far you travel emotionally
• The marks on maps
• An emotional journey

I have been inspired by two books which use this theme:

• The Map as Art - contemporary artists explore cartography (link)
• William Kentridge Tapestries (link)

It may be that this theme is too important to me, I cannot see how I would move it forward.
I know that once a theme is chosen, it will naturally go down a path, design development will flow, but this theme will have to keep for now.
Looking through the Map as Art book, leads you to think how many people are inspired by this topic and how varied their results are.
                                                         ---------------------

Third thought:
My next word was

• Impression

The ideas that were sparked from the word impression are:

• An imprint
• A feeling
• Being impressed
• Something important
• Make yourself be remembered
• Marking of time

I didn't feel inspired by this thought flow, so left this idea.
                                                          ---------------------

Fourth thought:
The word

• Discarded

this led to the following ideas:

• Things left behind
• Ideas made clear
• Sorting through, clearing out
• A friendship lost
• Packaging - excessive, so thrown away

At the moment this word has led to more thoughts, I'll share these.

A quote from a book by Jo Nesbo 'The Leopard'

It was like that for me when my father died. His things so irreplaceable, seemed to lose their meaning. It was as if he alone was the one who had given them value.

This resonated with me, the things we hold on to, what will become of them in the future, will they be thrown away, discarded?

I am an inveterate hoarder of 'things that may be useful' I wonder sometimes if I am afraid to throw things away to discard them.
My thoughts were: Being so afraid to throw things away that they start to gain an importance, the item is revered, what happens when a house gets fuller and fuller?

Discarded items are found objects in art, there is the use of terms like vintage, reclaimed. The idea that it is 'new' to reuse and recycle.

I read an article a few years ago written by Michael Moore (can't find it now but...) it was written in the future with Michael Moore talking to his grandchild.
The child tells his grandfather how clever their generation was to preserve everything in plastic. The child is referring to the use of rubbish being bagged up - they can discover history easily as none of the objects have rotted or perished in any sense. We discard everything these days - and wrap it up for posterity in the process.

Discarded: waste and the way we shop

Day at the beach: the things that are washed up. How did they get there? Gwen Hedley's work

The leaflets we pick up and 'collect' - why?

The memories we collect, later to be thrown away - maybe failing memory, or just time has passed.

To declutter, to risk throwing away something important

Moving: leaving behind homes, possessions, people

One mans trash is another mans treasure

The inability to stop shopping

Discard - to make room for new - displacement

We have gone from a society where things were expensive and only the rich could afford - now there's a glut of cheaper, more disposable items, what will happen if we don't change?

Landfill, excess packaging

Cleaning products, always the 'next new wonder product' - but what did they use in the 1950's?
                                                       --------------------------

So this will be my word.
I have no idea where it will lead at the moment, but I am excited and inspired by the thought process that has come from this word.

Part Three - Project 7: Understanding the Textile World

Investigating the diversity of textiles which are craft-based in their production.

Textiles were always craft based in their production and are usually made in small quantities.
Traditionally practitioners of each craft would have belonged to a Guild, this would ensure the pieces that they produced would be of a high standard.

Time has passed and production methods have changed, this means that goods can be made more cheaply, and that they are more widely available.
Shopping for goods has never been easier and in some respects cheaper - fashions change quickly and not just on the cat walk, but in our homes.

However there are still craft practitioners working and thriving in our communities - certainly there are less of them, but there is still a need for the man or woman who can supply the consumer with something that is 'a little bit different', a quality item, one that will last through generations.

The internet has also played a role in their survival, you can find these elusive craftspeople easily, there is no need for an expensive shop to upkeep, just a well maintained web site will reach those customers looking for the perfect item.

I have always had an interest in arts and crafts, a love of the homemade item.
However the word 'craft' can often be synonymous with twee, not really art; a craft fair might be something similar to a school fete - with crocheted toilet roll holders for sale alongside home made jams (not that there is anything wrong with school fetes, crocheted toilet roll holders, or even homemade jam!)

I remember walking into a craft fair in Winchester many years ago, and just being blown away by the exhibits that were on offer.
I wandered around in a daze, talking to the makers and designers, stroking the wonderful objects - I suddenly had a 'need' to own some of these wonderful things.

I had my eye on two things that day (many more really, but I knew I had to narrow it down), a hat and a very large papier mache fish.
I chose the hat, it was warm, it fitted, it was beautiful. I still wear it today, and continue to receive compliments for the wonderful hat, but, I still think about that fish!
That was one of the first Crafts Council affiliated fairs that I went to.

My hat

The Crafts Council have worked hard to change the image of craft, to bring prestige back to the whole industry and the art of making.
Their goal is to make the UK

 "the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft"

Their aim is to:

• "build a strong economy and infrastructure for contemporary craft"
• "increase and diversify the audience for contemporary craft"
• "champion high quality contemporary craft practice nationally and internationally"

They aim to change people's perceptions by only showing work of the highest standards.
The Council also promotes craft education and skills progression for the "economic and cultural health of the sector" with the firm belief that craft plays an important role in the UK's social, economic and cultural life.

Michelle Ogundehin Editor in Chief of Elle Decoration states:

"Craft is about the maker, the user, the observer and the future in one. By which I mean it resonates with honesty as the origins of the crafted object are clear and the mark of the hand evident. Craft symbolises utility of purpose and also beauty visualised in simple form. And this is the kind of material future I dream of, one based on universally- appreciated values, a human scale and a desire to be useful. and that's why Craft matters, possibly more so today than ever."

Michelle Ogundehin also campaigned successfully, earlier this year, for copyright protection for the design industry.
The 'Fight the Fakes' campaign increased the copyright from 25 years to "the life of the creator plus 70 years" an interview with Michelle is here. Information on the Fight the Fakes campaign is here.

The copyright issue was fought on the basis that fakes are bound to be cheaper, therefore quality and craftsmanship would suffer, that the designers should be protected from those just wishing to make a quick profit.

Having just watched the BBC series Mastercrafts it is evident why Craft is so important, why we shouldn't let 'old' skills die out, why we have to preserve them.
Industrial techniques are great, but, they are not everything.
To learn the older crafts in the traditional way means there is a deeper level of learning, and understanding, of the product that goes on. A greater satisfaction in the making process.

With reference to the current economic climate, Monty Don, presenter of Mastercrafts says:

"People are looking for surety, they're looking for things they can make and know are good, rather than things they can buy or that other people sold to them. Hence the resurgence of interest in traditional crafts."

Margo Selby
Featured on Mastercrafts, is a weaver, this is some of her work: link to her site is here

A selection of Margo Selby's work: go to http://www.margoselby.com/

She is a weaver of passion and versatility, a keen promoter of her craft.
She took part in the programme thinking that it would highlight both the challenges and the rewards of being a professional craftsperson in the society we live in today.

After graduating there was a huge demand for the fabrics she produced.
She therefore had to build relationships with mills in order to produce her textiles.

Margo spent 18 months as a Founding Fellow at The Ann Sutton Foundation, read about Ann Sutton here, during this time she developed her unique three dimensional fabrics by 'uniting her innovative hand-woven structures with industrial machinery'.

Following this, she set up a studio in London and opened a shop in Bloomsbury, her loom is set up in basement.

Margo designs and develops all her own fabrics.
They will start off as hand woven ideas, but will often be taken to industrial mills to produce limited editions of the fabrics.
By taking the fabric to a mill, the cost of production will be reduced, making the fabric more accessible to the public.
She says:

"We sell handwoven items in the shop, but it is the collaboration between the handcrafted and industrial techniques which has made the business successful, and allowed interesting woven fabrics to be available to a wider market"

Even though the weaving industry has declined in Britain it is crafts people like Margo Selby who have shown us that there is still life in the industry.
That there is still a market for well made, and well designed fabrics.

Melin Tregwynt
Woven in Wales for 100 years - link to their site is here
This is a piece of their classic fabric:

Melin Tregwynt fabric: Mondo in Aubergine colourway

Melin Tregwynt was something I knew I had seen featured in Selvedge magazine.
We were on holiday in Pembrokeshire last year when I saw a sign for the Mill and I forced my family into a trip there.

It is just celebrating its one hundredth birthday having been owned by the same family since 1912, although it has been operating as a mill since the seventeenth century.

Many Welsh mills closed in the 1980's recession.
It was only by developing new markets with up-to-date designs and contemporary yarns that the mill began to thrive again.
They installed faster looms and were able to supply high quality, beautiful designs in wool and lambswool all over the world.

The mill employs over 20 local people.
Their fabrics are not available on the High Street, but can be bought from the Mill Shop or online.
They produce traditional Welsh designs which are 'transformed with beautiful colour and innovative design.' They say they are 'simple in spirit, satisfying in quality and timeless in design.'

The mill had a fantastic tea shop which we visited after watching the weavers in the sheds outside, the mill shop was full of beautifully designed textiles made into beautiful things - one day I will own a blanket from Melin Tregwynt, it is something I spend an awful lot of time thinking about!

It was a truly special occasion to observe these talented crafts practitioners at work.

Carole Waller
Painter: a link to her site is here
This is a close up of a dress made from Carole Waller's painted silk

Painted silk reconstructed dress: link

This is another artist regularly featured in Selvedge magazine.

Carole Waller is an internationally renowned painted textile artist.
She works in a variety of media and often exhibits her painted clothing alongside paintings and installations in galleries.

She grew up with art, her mother taught weaving at Birmingham Art School.
After graduating from Canterbury College of Art with a degree in painting, Carole went on to take an MA in Fine Art Textiles in Michigan.

Early inspiration for Carole were the Italian church frescoes and the cave paintings at Lascaux, France.
Having visited these caves myself, last summer, I was fascinated by the response that she got from them.

"The notion of building an image into a pre-existing surface led me to the work I do now and to seek the same qualities of integration.I love putting colour into a three-dimensional surface. I use textiles because i want to create paintings that collaborate with their environment."

Although she trained as a painter, she says that she didn't really make progress until she started painting with dyes on unprimed cloth.
The garments that she creates are one-off pieces on unprimed fabric such as silk, cotton, wool and linen.

Having received a grant in 2005 from the Arts Council South West she went on to develop a body of work with glass. Her paintings are laminated between layers of glass, either flat or curved. These can then be used as free standing pieces. for both in and outdoor use.

You can see some of the works here. (Please follow this link to see this and her other works on the website)

International Festival of the Garden at Westonbirt Arboretum

Regarding the pieces she created for the Westonbirt Arboretum, she says:

"I like to give the audience the chance to interact freely with the work, both with the life-sizes figures and the clothes, so I produced six three-metre-tall paintings inspired by the trees at Westonbirt."

Carole's next venture is to study painting on glass and enamelling in Germany, Gloucestershire and Scotland. She recently won a QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) award which has enabled her to do this.

Japanese Nuno Corporation
This company produces extraordinary fabrics using new technology to reinterpret traditional Japanese techniques.
An example of one of their fabrics:

Fabric by Reiko Sudo. Image from this link

The wonderful Ruthin Craft Centre had a Japanese season this year, this featured the work of Reiko Sudo. The exhibition was called Japanese Style: Sustaining Design and it ran from 1st April until 24th June 2012.
About the exhibition link, photo's of the private view link.

The Nuno Corporation took their name from the Japanese word for fabric, it was started in 1984 by Reiko Sudo and Junichi Arai. They:

"combine the best of past and present; drawing on traditional aesthetics to creative processes to inspire today's fashions, while enlisting modern technologies to make Japans "lost art" more accessible to textile lovers worldwide."

A Nuno fabric will often combine industrial and handmade processes.
One of their fabrics, (link to V & A collections), is called Ripple Reed.
This is a very modern fabric made from woven nylon and silk, but it was produced using a very traditional technique.

This technique is used to weave lightweight summer kimono (yukata) and sashes.
Usually the reeds of the loom are flat, but Nuno has used a loom with rippled reeds to create the unusual weave in the fabric.
"Today only a handful of craftspeople can produce this finely detailed work, and fewer still can craft the rippled reeds for the loom."

Many of the Nuno Corporations fabrics have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, the Victoria and Albert Museum have several examples in their collection.

Although they are a company that produces modern textiles and accessories, they continue to push the boundaries of the latest technology and manufacturing processes, while still digging deep into the past, using traditional Japanese textile techniques.

Tilleke Schwarz
She is an embroiderer/artist. Or you could say she is an artist/embroiderer.
This is one of her hand embroideries (for this and other images, please see website link)

Mark Making: Tilleke Schwarz

I was very lucky to see an exhibition of Tilleke's work at the Ruthin Craft Centre in 2010, this was on show at the same time as an exhibition called 'Smile'. It was a great day out.

My family came to see the exhibitions under duress, they had decided before we got there, that it wasn't going to be their thing (not my daughter - she'll go anywhere that has arts and crafts).
How wrong they were, apart from Jessica that is.

They loved it all - there was the interaction with works by Robert Race (link here), pleasure at the characters that Lucy Casson creates (link here), they were enjoying themselves.
We reached the gallery with Tilleke's work in it and their interest did not wane (that's two teenage boys plus husband - who is not a teenager).
The write up of the exhibition says that Tilleke:

"Stitches 'maps of modern life' that are reminiscent of graffiti. She includes anything that moves, amazes or intrigues her. Daily life, mass media, traditional samplers and cats are major sources of inspiration."

There was always something else to see in each work, another image, another mark, and always a level of humour within each piece. 

Tilleke uses hand stitching on her pieces, each one can take more than half a year to create but, she says, that she 'never counts the hours'.
She is inspired by folk art, daily news, cats and scraps of textiles.
Using simple embroidery stitches, such as cross stitch and couching, she creates a narrative on linen cloth.

The sampler was traditionally used to teach women to read and write, Tilleke uses hers to challenge the viewer to think about "modern society and the strange way we deal with mass communication".

I managed to buy a copy of her book "Mark Making" at the craft centre, it is a joy to look through and to read. The photography and details of each of the works is very good, this enables you to see parts of the works that you may have missed in a gallery setting, you can browse through a book.

Tilleke Schwarz creator of the modern embroidery sampler.
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All the crafts practitioners I have mentioned here are working to conserve their craft, but at the same time many of them are working in a contemporary context.

• Margo Selby designs and creates her fabrics on a hand loom but passes her designs on to mills in order to produce limited editions of her designs. She weaves the smaller pieces and samples herself.
• Melin Tregwynt continues to produce traditional Welsh designs, but in up to date fibres and colours. Modernised looms meant that it could fulfill their production commitments and reach a wider market.
• Carole Waller continues to paint cloth, but she has developed her market into clothes, and glass installations. Both her clothes, paintings and glass pieces can be considered art in their own right
• Japanese Nuno Corporation produces wonderful, extraordinary fabrics from new technologies, while at the same time using very traditional Japanese techniques.
• Tilleke Schwarz uses traditional embroidery techniques to produce contemporary 'samplers', inspired by everyday life, especially the way that modern society deals with mass communication.

There are so many wonderful crafts people working today, it would be hard to write about them all.
This was a small selection, but one that I felt covered many aspects, Melin Tregwynt would be considered as having craftsmen working there; Carole Waller and Tilleke Schwarz would be considered as artist-craftsman; Nuno Corporation and Margo Selby would be considered designer/maker/craftsman. The boundaries are finely drawn between them.

What is without question is their common goal: to produce items of quality, items that will last.
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References

Throughout: 
International Textile Design by Mary Schoeser
Selvedge Magazine

Crafts Council
http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/

Margo selby
http://www.margoselby.com/
http://britishcrafts.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/weaving-a-life-in-textiles-from-mastercrafts-tutor-margo-selby/
http://crafteduk.org/craft_makers/margo_selby#/sites/default/files/MS6.png

Melin Tregwynt
http://www.melintregwynt.co.uk/

Carole Waller
http://www.carolewaller.co.uk/
http://somerset.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/somerset-textile-artist-carole-waller-bath-batheaston-9566/

Nuno Corporation
http://www.nuno.com/Twist/Twist.html
http://thefuroshikicompany.co.uk/page7.htm
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/name/nuno-corporation/6680/
http://pressroom.textilemuseum.org/2009/08/19/fabrics-of-feathers-and-steel-the-innovation-of-nuno-on-view-at-the-textile-museum-this-fall/
http://www.keikogallery.com/artist/textile/nuno.html
http://www.japanseasonwales.com/

Tilleke Schwarz
Mark Making by Tilleke Schwarz
http://www.tillekeschwarz.com/ 

Part Three: Project 6 - What have I achieved

Project 6 dealt with creating shapes and three dimensional forms with fabric.

After completing the research project, I took a set of new ideas and drawings to inspire me as I worked through each of the exercises.

Stage 2 developed ideas - I selected drawings with potential for development.
These drawings had to have an expressive quality and a rhythm - and not be too complicated.
By selecting and narrowing down my choices, I had lots of fresh ideas, I had notes to work from in the forthcoming exercises.
I have always worked on selecting drawings that I felt had potential - without considering, or at least writing down the reasons why I rejected the other images.
By writing down my ideas and my reasons - I felt the selection process was made simpler, I hadn't just picked a piece that I liked, I had reasoned why it was the correct choice.

Stage 3 worked with applied fabric techniques - the suggested time limit for both stage 3 and stage 4 is just four hours for each stage. This, for me, was an underestimation - but, I think this may be due to the fact that I enjoyed working with the techniques listed, and I felt the need to sample them all! There has got to be a happy medium, and I will try to use the time guidelines to keep my enthusiasm in check.

Stage three was a design led piece using traditional applique, cut back applique, bonding and trapping techniques.
I was pleased with my final sample, I used a monochromatic colour scheme, and several different types of applique in the construction of the piece.
It closely represented the design work that I had completed.

Final sample Stage 3

Stage four dealt with raised and structured surface textures.
Having enjoyed 'sampling' the different techniques: gathering, folding and pleating, tucking, tearing/fraying/slashing, quilting, raised shapes and moulding; I was interested to see how I might use these to complete a sample based on one of my designs.
Having finally chosen an image, I really had to plan the different ways that some of the techniques might be used.
I am really pleased with the result - again completely time consuming, but one that worked well from design to completion of sample.

Final sample Stage 4

Did I prefer working with fabric in this way to working directly with stitch?
I found working with fabric in this way an interesting challenge.
Usually you can choose stitches, colours of thread, that will enhance a design, this time it was all about the techniques you could use with fabric.
I liked the techniques that were sampled, and I enjoyed translating the designs into a finished piece.
What I found strange was isolating the stitch from the fabric, and solely concentrating on the fabric techniques.
But, I think that this process has enabled me to consider the design process even more closely, to examine each element of a design by the different processes and techniques that are available

Did I feel pleased with the shapes and movements that I created in both applique and fabric manipulation?
I felt very pleased with the shapes and movements that I created in both stage 3 and stage 4, the applique and fabric manipulation techniques.
Looking again at the final samples (in the images above), I can see that I created a sense of depth and texture in both finished pieces.

In the applique piece I kept to a simple colour scheme, but used a variety of textures in the applique fabrics. I also used a variety of applique techniques which created 'layering' of the applied leaves, some receded and some 'came forward' in the finished sample. The negative spaces between the leaves were as integral to the design as the positive images of the leaves.

In the fabric manipulation piece I kept to an even simpler colour scheme, cream.
The different fabric manipulation techniques created layers, textures and shadows which complemented the shapes that appeared in the finished sample.

If I was to try anything new with either of these samples it would be to use one of the fabric manipulation techniques on the background fabric of the applique sample.
I like the sample as it is, but it would be interesting to see if the sample would be improved visually by using texture on the background.

How did the pieces work in relation to my drawings, and were the final results very different to the drawings?
For the applique piece, I kept my fabric sample very close to the design that I had drawn up.
I developed the image from a photograph and felt the shapes of the leaves and their placement on the background worked too well to change it.

For the fabric manipulation sample I kept close to the drawing, but this time used the drawing more as a guide.
I developed the original image before I started the sample, and then once I was working on fabric, the design began to develop further.
You can still see a direct link between the two in the finished piece.
The fabric manipulation technique assisted rather than 'took over' the final result.

Was it helpful to work from the drawings in the applique exercise?
Yes it was helpful to work from drawings in the applique exercise.
I think that you can create some interesting samples by 'playing' with cut shapes and materials, like the collages that we were asked to create in Stage 2, but I felt safer when dealing directly with a design that I had worked on.

How do I feel about working with stitch in general and would I like to pursue this in more depth?
I like working with stitch, it compliments the fabric techniques.
I would like to pursue the effects of both fabric techniques and stitch together - it has got to be the next stage in design development.
Only by sampling and trying out new stitches and techniques will my ability to design become better
The only limiting factor with working in stitch is that my hands don't work well.
After creating the sample using the Italian applique my index finger became numb - it takes several days for any feeling to return.
I need to limit the periods of time when I hand stitch - that way I don't need to restrict the designs that I would like to create.
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