Exercise 1:1 – The Archive

The aim of this exercise is to identify an archive and select three textile pieces to observe and work from. This will help to expand my experience of textile handling and close analysis. I tried to visit a couple places and it was unsuccessful. It was either closed or I had to book an appointment and I’d already spent time and money visiting this place.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to locate an archive within my area that I could go and visit so I did some research online and found an archive with some textiles that caught my eye. Obviously, I know that using online textiles is harder to analyse because you can’t physically touch it, however, I found three and did some research regardless.

The identified archive is on the Victoria and Albert Museum website, it is called Post-War Textiles and includes prints from the late 1940s to 1970s. The first piece was a print called Afwillite 8.45, a dress fabric designed by S.M.Slade in 1951. The second piece was another dress fabric called The Blue Dress by Pablo Picasso, made in 1956. The third piece was a furnishing fabric called Frequency, designed by Barbara Brown in 1969 and this caught my eye the most out of the three particularly because of the bright and wavy colours and patterns.

Afwillite 8.45
The Blue Dress
Frequency

So, to be able to comment on the physical qualities through textile handling, I found an archived textile in the family home to work from. It is a textile that has been passed through the generations for almost 100 years. The tatting technique used for the border will be great for me to draw from.

Post-War Textiles, Victoria and Albert Museum. At: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/post-war-textiles [accessed 13/09/22]

Project 1: Selecting and Identifying

In this project, I will begin to record textiles through selecting, observing and drawing pieces from an archive source. So, before we get into anything, I will describe what textiles means to me and whether they could have stories or narratives attached to them. I believe textiles to be pieces of yarn woven together to create a fabric. A textile is any material that is made of interlacing fibres such as clothing, blankets, carpets and so on.

Some textiles can either tell a story itself or have a story behind it. For example, a hand-me-down jumper would have been passed down through many generations and gained a few age-related marks over the years. It holds memories and therefore has a story behind it. Another example would be a tapestry that physically tells a story on the fabric. Grayson Perry does it perfectly with The Vanity of Small Differences.

Perry, Grayson. “The Vanity of Small Differences” Pera Museum, 15 May 2015. At: https://www.peramuseum.org/blog/the-vanity-of-small-differences/1443#:~:text=The%20Vaity%20of%20Small%20Differences%20is%20a%20series,seen%20in%20the%20Grayson%%3A%20Small%20Differences%20exhibition. [accessed 12/09/22]

Introduction to Textiles 1: A Textiles Vocabulary

In this introductory project, I was asked to gather materials that represents a chosen theme. I chose the theme Balance & Harmony and started drawing a mind map with words associating with said theme. The items I chose to gather was a candle, a temperance card because it indicates you should take the middle road and maintain a sense of calm. A crystal and an incense stick because both are used for cleansing. A book about Reiki which is a form of meditation and a soft lightweight scarf to represent the flow.

Some arrangements work better than others because some objects complement each other better and makes it stand out more. Some are more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than others. I would say that my arrangements are more of a sparser distribution, I have done that deliberately to represent my theme and placing them in a way that works and flows rather than cluttered and in your face.

The next part of this introductory project required me to observe and draw from the qualities of the items that I gathered. I chose to work on lightweight paper and tracing paper to portray delicacy. I did a mixture of slow drawings and fast drawings, some with detail, some with barely any and using both pen and pencil.

The first one is a quick drawing on A3 and has very little detail, the second is on tracing paper with a small amount of detail. The third is a pencil sketch on lightweight paper with tiny detail and the fourth is a pen sketch with tiny detail. I believe I could have made more drawings; however, I didn’t want to spend too long on this exercise.

I was inspired by 4 artists that I will be mindful of when creating my own marks: Roanna Wells, Debbie Smyth and Katie Sollohub. All the work of these women caught my eye in their own way. The first image is a painting made by Roanna Wells and it caught my eye because it looks like tall trees in the mist, but when you take a closer look, you can see it was made with individual brush strokes side by side to create this stunning artwork. The second photo is an embroidery piece by Debbie Smyth. I love this technique and she uses it beautifully. The final photo is a drawing called Gothic Daydream by Katie Sollohub. It looks like it could be a charcoal drawing and it caught my eye because although it looks like a fast drawing, it is actually rather detailed.

Wells, Roanna. “Zones of Discomfort” Artworks, 2021. At: https://www.roannawells.co.uk/artworks/zones-of-discomfort [accessed 12/09/22]

Smyth, Debbie. Portfolio, Gallery. At: https://www.debbie-smyth.com/work/portfolio/gallery/ [accessed 12/09/22]

Sollohub, Katie. “Strawberry Hill House” Past Projects, 2017. At: https://www.katiesollohub.co.uk/pastprojects/residency-strawberry-hill-house [accessed 12/09/21]

Assignment 5: Reflection

This part of the course was one I was really looking forward to because textiles was my strong point in school and I really enjoyed doing it. However, issues in my personal life meant that i couldn’t enjoy this part as much as I’d hoped. In school, I created my own textile for the final piece of one of the projects which required me to use all kind of techniques from applique to batik so I was able to use previous knowledge. It would have been good to go to some galleries and find some textile based artworks. Unfortunately, due to current circumstances I wasn’t able to go to any.

I really enjoyed many parts of this course, especially sustainability and handmade artwork. Since becoming vegan at the beginning of the year, I have been trying to find more sustainable clothing and everyday items such as a toothbrush. Handmade craft is important to me because my mum and my nan both make things using knitting or crochet techniques so the creativity has been passed down to me. I also really enjoyed researching and admiring Christian Boltanski’s ‘Personnes’. It’s incredible to see how he transformed the space he had into a much deeper meaning. I imagine you get the chills when entering the exhibition and continue to walk through, especially hearing the heartbeat echo through the room.

For my assignment, I chose to look at a functional textile within a public space. I really struggled to get started on my assignment and the deadline kept creeping closer. My mental health took a toll and I literally had no motivation to do anything. So I was happy to be able to finish it even though it took longer than it should have done. I know it is not to the standard it should be either but I’m hoping to work on the feedback to improve it. This part of the course took longer than expected as there has been a few bumps in the road.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this first section of my course. I think I have come a long way since the beginning and I have learnt a lot of new things. Lots of different techniques and exercises that I can take from and apply to certain things in the future. I need to go out more to galleries and libraries to find primary sources to give that extra bit of context. I think that is something I lacked over this section of the course which probably held me back a bit. So this is something I will definitely try to improve on for the next part.

Introduction to Creative Writing

Why do people read and write?

  • READ – enjoyment, calming, therapeutic, gain better knowledge and vocabulary, it can be educating.
  • WRITE – express feelings, provide an escape, enjoyment, calming, therapeutic, educating in some sense, to challenge oneself.

I noticed there is a few similarities between the two as the same reasons appear on both lists. Reading and writing are connected and it’s not necessarily correct to divide them into their own category. You could be reading something which inspires you to write you’re own piece of work.

Although reading and writing are both equally beneficial to self development. Ion my opinion, I believe writing can more powerful especially if you’re journalling. For the people who struggle to talk about their feelings and emotions, writing them down in a journal can help to ease the load more. Reading can powerful in its own way as you can detach from reality and delve deep into the words.

Writing is everywhere…

Part 5:3 – Clouds and Pillars

Textiles can be created specifically to fulfil the needs or demands of specific contexts. For example, a designer might work to a brief to develop a durable textile in a specific colour palette for seating in public transport or a parasol outside a shop. Below is an image of the seats on my local bus. They are designed with extra strong fabric due to having a lot of people sitting on these seats everyday. After so long they will eventually have some wear and tear but that shouldn’t be for a while as they are designed to be durable.

I went into a shop to see if i can find any utilitarian textiles. I took photos of all the textiles i could see that was being used in a particular manner. The first one a saw is the doormat to wipe your feet on the way in. This is a good use of textiles because it stops the shop floor from getting dirty or wet depending on the weather.

Refer to ‘Room Six: Territories’ pages 146 & 147

Investigate ‘Gers’ and other such textile based shelters/homes such as Wigwams, Tipis and Tents.

In the book, PLACE by T.Dean and J.Millar on page 146, Mette Tronvoll talks about their journey through Mongolia. ” A ger is a round, white tent and is the home of the nomads living on the steppes in Mongolia. For almost 3000 years, the shape and the function of the ger has remained the same”. Here, textiles has been used to create shelters for people in Mongolia. It is a useful item that is now used all over the world. A more commonly known tent is what most people in the world use to go camping out with the family or friends. It is made out of a waterproof textiles that protects the inside layers from getting wet. So the tent is definitely a useful item.

I found a page in one of my textile magazines that show you how to create a wigwam. Again, this is very similar to a ger, tepee or a tent, just a slightly different design. The difference between a wigwam and a tepee is that tepees are more portable whereas wigwams are stationary.

Part 5:3 – Function of Straub’s Textile

Straub’s textiles designs were first handmade on a loom using some Slow Design principles. The pattern of fabric portrays the identity of the transport vehicles. It is used frequently throughout the years by public transport, therefore it becomes associated with transportation vehicles. It brings comfort for those with long shifts and travelling long journeys. The bright colours of the fabric bring the space alive and making it more visually pleasing. The material is strong and durable to withheld commuters and everything that a commuter brings with them. Overall these aspects make people content with their journey whether it is long or short.

Assignment 5

Assignment 5

Textiles have been around since the late Stone Age and it has used in a functional way ever since such as clothing to wear and weather protection. Functional textiles are normal textiles with added functions such as temperature and humidity control depending on the location. In this essay, I will discuss a textile within a public/commercial area that is being used in a functional way. I will comment on its practical use and presence within that area and critically examine its formation, placement, use and other properties. The object I have chosen to look at is an exterior canopy type textile.

Outside the El Limonero restaurant in Orgiva, Spain is a permanent exterior Pergola. It consists of 8 masonry columns holding up a steel frame. Attached to the steel frame is a roofing grid of beams with a waterproof textile acting as shelter from all weather types. On the sides between each column are sheets of clear plastic that are available to roll down if it is raining to stop customers getting wet or when it is sunny they can be opened to allow a breeze through. Also, attached to the pillars are lanterns so you can see when it gets dark. The actual textile itself is made of solution-dyed acrylic yarn woven together to create this large textile. It is a vellum style pergola meaning it can be retractable when it’s needed. It is useful as it can protect customers against all weather types such as wind, rain and sun. It is free standing with an extra sheet attached to the building covering the walkway. Below the pergola is a nice seating area consisting of 6 tables with 6 chairs around each table. Around the seating area is a balcony type railing separating the tables from the road. The floor is made out of artificial grass. Personally, this textile is being used perfectly the way it should do, it is functional.

These textiles have been created specifically for this context; to protect customers from different weather types. It looks like it has been commercially made; if it had been handmade it would be appreciated more by the customers when eating because of the craftsmanship and effort gone into creating it. The scale is important for this to be useful as it connotes an umbrella so the bigger it is the more customers they can have in all weather conditions. To view this fully, you need to stand further away as it looks better as a whole. Although it is not made to be attractive, you can appreciate it more when underneath it and being protected. This textile transforms the space it is in because it changes a normal decking to a well protected seating area. There is repeated folds in the fabric for when it retracts, it will all fold together nicely instead of creasing.

Pergolas are a very useful thing to have whether it is in your garden at home or at your local restaurant. It is classed as an outdoor room that provides light and airy space. They are freestanding and much larger than an ordinary arbor or canopy. They don’t require you to try and add it to the building/house. If you like flowers, you can add trellises or lattice to allow the plants to grow up the side or hang up flower baskets from the roof beams. Pergolas are easy to DIY if you prefer to do it yourself but you have to remember to put it in the right position if you are using it for shade. However, pergolas can also require some maintenance such as treating the wood. If you have flowers or vines, you need to trim them regularly so the pergola isn’t weighed down. It may look different over time where the sun has bleached the colours of the fabric or wood. These things should be brought into consideration when looking into buying one.

Going back to the flooring of El Limonero, it is Astroturf which is technically a textile. At first, this seems unusual to have as a floor in a restaurant but when you think about it, it’s actually rather smart because it is low maintenance and still looks good. It is made out of multiple layers such as pile fibres, backing cloth, shock absorbing layer and a supporting base. The pile fibres are grass-like and soft to feel. The backing fabric is what the fibres attach to and it allows water to permit through easily. The purpose of the foam is to absorb impact and cushion the feel when walking over it. The supporting base is the concrete beneath it to hold everything together. All these layers not only allow comfort when walking over it, but it also doesn’t require any maintenance and should last for many years. Overall, this is another functional textile being used in a useful way.

Functional textiles are used all around the world in many different houses, shops and other commercial areas every day. They include breathable, hot and cold resistant, waterproof and fire retardant fabrics. This specific restaurant has 2 forms of textiles being used functionally, the pergola and the artificial grass. Both of these textiles are different when in comparison with each other, however, they have one thing in common and that is the functional use. The pergola is used in all weather types and it can be used by anyone anywhere. Overall, this pergola at El Limonero is being used in a functional manner to protect customers; its permanent fixture will bring people in anytime of the year.

WORDS: 933

Bibliography

Pergola – El Limonero, Orgiva, Spain.

Beauliec, D. (2019) What is a Pergola? The Spruce. [online] At: www.thespruce.com/what-is-a-pergola-2131097

Artificial Turf. Technical Textile. [online] At: www.technicaltextile.net/articles/artifical-turf-the-new-face-of-sports-textiles-5463

Research: Christian Boltanski

Personnes, 2010 By Christian Boltanski

The austerity of the scene is overwhelming, compounded by the booming heartbeats that seem to emit from nowhere and yet all around – time being measured out by human life.

Cummings, 2010

ART or DESIGN

TEMPORARY or PERMANENT

LARGE SCALE or SMALL SCALE

TRANSFORMING and/or DEFINING and/or FORMING

IMMERSIVE and/or DISTANT

PATTERN and/or COLOUR and/or REPETITION and/or SHAPE

In addition to the garments, the noise of heartbeats permeates the exhibition, why do you think that may be?

Seeing the pieces of peoples lives through the clothes in a graveyard layout as well as hearing the heartbeat spread across the exhibition really brings it to life and not in a good way. It makes you feel sad and grieve for those who lost their lives.

To what extent are the textiles transformed into something other than fabric?

The textiles piled up towards the back of the exhibition is transformed into a mountain of clothes and the individual squares of clothes could represent the multiple campsites and base camps along the way up the mountain. However, the textiles could also represent a concentration camp. The organised squares implies human organisation such as victims being controlled in these camps.

What’s the significance of the installation title – and of the mechanical grabber?

Personnes in French means person or nobody. The title of this exhibitions means nobody. This emphasises the empty clothing on the floor that once was a human. The mechanical grabber could connote God’s hand reaching out choosing the next life to come to heaven. Boltanski refers to it as ‘the finger of god’.

What associations does this work conjure up in your mind?

It almost instantly reminds me of the concentration camps in Germany. So many innocent people went though these camps so all these clothes on the floor represent the individuals that once wore these clothes. All being grabbed by a ‘hand’ which really emphasizes the dehumanisation.

Cumminds, 2010. Christian Boltanski: Personnes. In: The Guardian [online] At: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/jan/17/christian-boltanski-personnnes-paris-review [accessed 12/06/20]

Research: Textiles in Context

Yayoi Kusama : Infinity Mirrored Room 1998

ART or DESIGN

TEMPORARY or PERMANENT

LARGE SCALE or SMALL SCALE

TRANSFORMING and/or DEFINING and/or FORMING

IMMERSIVE and/or DISTANT

PATTERN and/or COLOUR and/or REPETITION and/or SHAPE

Yayoi Kusama – Infinity mirrored room – 1998  – Les Abattoirs, Toulouse – photo Jean-Luc Auriol

Pattern, colour and repetition dominate her work. The dots help to create an immersive environment. She uses textile as a malleable substrate with colour and pattern to generate the obsessive environment she seeks. She also uses mirrors to create the illusion of the infinite repetition.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec: Clouds 2008

ART or DESIGN

TEMPORARY or PERMANENT

LARGE SCALE or SMALL SCALE

TRANSFORMING and/or DEFINING and/or FORMING

IMMERSIVE and/or DISTANT

PATTERN and/or COLOUR and/or REPETITION and/or SHAPE

Paul Tahon and R & E Bouroullec, Clouds, 2008

They have used textiles to create connectable pieces. These can be suspended from ceiling or connected to the wall and they can either be used to divide space or absorb sound. This piece can be both immersive and distant as you’re provided with separate segments that you must choose how to connect together and a visual piece viewed from a distance. I have selected both large and small scale because the individual pieces can come apart and you can create whichever size cloud you desire.

Marianne Straub: Moquette Textile 1970

ART or DESIGN

TEMPORARY or PERMANENT

LARGE SCALE or SMALL SCALE

TRANSFORMING and/or DEFINING and/or FORMING

IMMERSIVE and/or DISTANT

PATTERN and/or COLOUR and/or REPETITION and/or SHAPE

Colour transparency, C69 stock Circle line train, interior view

Moquette is a woven textile comprised of loop and pile which makes the fabric very durable. Marianne Straub designed seating for public transport such as London buses and underground trains. Again i highlighted both immersive and distant because passengers sit close to them whilst the colour and patterns dominate more when viewed from across an empty carriage.

Travagliati, 2001. Kusama Mania. Atribune [online]. At: https://www.artribune.com/report/2011/11/kusama-mania/ [accessed 09/06/20]

Etherington, 2009. Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bourroullec. In: Dezeen [online] At: https://www.dezeen.com/2009/01/16/clouds-by-ronan-and-erwan-bouroullec/ [accessed 09/06/20]

Moquette Textile, 1970. London Transport Museum [online] At: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/photographs/page/1?&q=marianne+straub&sort=date&order=asc&field=STARTDATE [accessed 09/06/20]