Using my sketchbook and paper prints I explored printing, appliqué and destroying to enrich my digital samples.
With my printing samples I used a potato that I cut using my lino cutting tools. I cut a simple pattern similar to my ‘lines’ digital sample. I then overprinted some of my Rorschach repeats in acrylic paint to see what it would look like. I used black to begin with as well as white.
I have been attending the fantastic life drawing classes at OVADA in Oxford for 3 terms now and am continuing to love it. The course is run by Roger Perkins and each week he always gives us a new challenge that asks us to rethink the way we look at the model, how we interpret the pose and how we plan and make marks on the page.
Whilst researching digital textiles artists I was struck by how few artists combine both digital work with more traditional techniques. I did find a few…
I was a bit uninspired to start with as I don’t envisage my textiles being used in a particularly traditional way, i.e. fashion or interiors. However as I started to consider this exercise I felt that they could be part of a site specific installation. I have a series of images that I had found within pinterest, of abandoned asylums. These lost and lonely places, forgotten by time, are reminiscent of the people who would have been incarcerated within them. I would love the opportunity to explore and visit an abandoned asylum and even create a piece of work specific to one, so this really did feel appropriate and right for my vision of my work.
During my research into digital textiles, I have wanted to explore other ways of using technologies within my work. I am interested in sound and sound recordings but wanted to create ways of visualizing sound rather than using imagery with sound.
I started of by simply playing within photoshop and playing with repeats using imagery and photographs that I had in my folders. I tried flipping and also overlaying imagery.
I was very lucky to attend this talk [1] by Matthew Harris [2] as a guest of The Oxford branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild. Matthew Harris gave a fascinating talk about his work and working practice, his exploration of pattern through layering and cutting cloth. His work often represents visualizations of musical scores but is also inspired by his travels.
During my trip to Edinburgh I started to think about the relationships we have with people we meet briefly during our day to day lives, as well as those we come very close to but never actually meet. I started to think about ways of portraying this visually, and i started to see connections with maps and the contours on maps that show height. Maps are also good because we often meet strangers whilst travelling. I also saw connections with brain mapping and the contours of our bodies. Brief intersections where lines meet represent our fleeting meetings.
My overall feeling about digital textile design is that it can feel visually too involved as well a being almost entirely 2 dimensional. I have really struggled to find digital textiles that move me. I think that this is because digital textiles are generally used for production, therefore the final outcome has to be visually attractive if we are going to choose to furnish our houses or wear the designs. I do like Alexander McQueen prints and Timorous Beasties and I think that I am drawn to these because they are not traditionally beautiful.
This had just opened the weekend I was in Edinburgh, and was an opportunity too good to miss! I wasn’t able to get to any of the evening events as I was only there for such a short time but the exhibition element was fantastic.
ocatextiles2 