knitting time

This week I've learned to knit! Although I've seen hand knitting demonstrated before and got to try a machine briefly on foundation, this week has been so satisfying, as I feel like I now have a basic knowledge and use of both. How exciting!

It seems like there is endless potential to manipulate a piece of knitting. While I've been focusing on getting the process of hand-knitting, and creating variation around a few basic stitches for now, it's been great to make lots of quicker experiments on the machine- changing colours, making holes, forming loops, creating textures, cords, stripes, and many other things.  

making holes with 4 yarns cast on

weaving plastic strips into the knit

Once I started getting the techniques, it was fun to try and start exploring and expressing elements of my Box Clever objects within what I was knitting. 

 I wanted to get a sense of fluidity to match the flowing shapes of the rubber band animals (above left), so tried creating looped samples with raffia and torn up strips of balloons. The shapes of the bubble blowers inspired lace-hole work. Here's some of my initial samples:

Looping and weaving

Cording through lace holes, and Making stripes 

hand-knits (left to right)- ribbing, chunky knit with cable wire painted after,
knitting with ribbon stitched into.

playing with colour/pattern/texture

Part of drawing and analysing my objects has been to look at the colours, textures and patterns, which I'll be able to derive inspiration for my work in the technical blocks from. 

Creating windings with yarn and material scraps helped me start to think about colour combinations. Lots of my objects have a plasticy shine to them, which prompted me to look for some shiny threads, and to incorporate rubber bands, wire, shredded carrier bags and other alternative materials into my initial test pieces. 

I now have a swatch book full of lots of mark-making inspiration too. It was interesting to look at little details and textures on my objects, then record them experimenting with scale, repetition, rotation and then colour. The only restriction was the dimension of the squares I could do my mark-making on! Once I got going, I really enjoyed this- it'll be a great starting point for print designs. 

Playing around drawing

Our first drawing week was really helpful to start analysing my Box Clever objects.

One tutor asked: what's the point of drawing when it's so easy now to just take photos? Well, drawing requires you to look at things and notice detail. Sitting infront of my objects made me pay attention to the shapes, colours, textures, and work out what attracted me to my collection in the first place. 

Looking at silhouette

Imagining cross sections

Slicing and silhouetting 

I enjoyed the loose approach of tuesday afternoon's workshop. It was all about playing around, which perfectly suits my collection of 'things to play with'. Having fun with my drawings emphasised the fun elements of my objects to me, with their bright colours and interactive, moving parts. One exercise was to think of an alternative use for an object, and create a drawing to show how it would work. I re-imagined the bubble-blowing wand from my box as a device to draw rainbows with. 

A new use for bubble-blowers 

Drawing an object from memory was interesting. I realised that most of my objects are quite graphic, with bold shapes and colours, so it was easier to try and recall them than I thought it would be.

Memory drawing

Imagining the objects in motion across the page helped me think about the quality of movement associated with the actions of playing- I wanted to capture a joyful, impulsive feeling. My drawing turned out quite smudgy, but I think it has a sense of energy and freedom.

Thinking about movement

Taking components from the drawings I was producing and combining them together helped to generate further ideas. I like the effect of layering up silhouettes and line drawings in varying scales- they'll be useful to refer back to when it comes to my Print design block.

basic pattern development

Mining the Museum

Here is my reflection on our theory task this week...


The first gallery space you encounter upon arriving at the V&A’s Grand Entrance, is labelled ‘Medieval and Renaissance Europe: 1350-1600’. The title of the gallery naturally leads the viewer to expect a collection of objects from early European history. However, academics have often noted that museums are ‘a machine for transmission’ (Keenan, 1995), not simply preservation; and arguably the narrative set before us in this room serves to illustrate the power and wealth of our mighty European ancestors, rather than merely presenting an objective view of life at the time. 

The shiny gold signs used to display information around the space immediately suggest a focus on luxury and riches. There is a strong sense that the curators have chosen to tell the story of the elite, upper classes, as a sign labelled ‘Cityscape’ mentions how cities were “dominated by handsome buildings...express[ing] the social and political life of the community”. There is mention of how “beyond the city walls, the wealthy built villas in emulation of the the classical rural retreat” (gallery signage, V&A), but there is nothing- written or visually- to suggest how the rest of society lived. The room contains well basins from the courtyards of private palaces, and sculptures that were sent abroad as diplomatic gifts, but there is a complete absence of everyday, functional objects.  It is as if the curators have ignored, or deemed unworthy, the need to represent the life of the rest of society. By selecting only the finest of objects to display, the curators have arguably detached the individual pieces in the collection from their original contexts in history, to create a vision of history that only shows the exquisite and luxurious.  

As Carol Duncan has argued, ‘installation design has increasingly sought to isolate objects’ (Duncan, 1995, p.17). Here, the pieces are not only removed and isolated from the context of the whole society that they once existed within; they are also isolated from their original physical context. It is quite odd to see the ends of a staircase from the Palazzo Gondi in Florence fixed to a wall in the room alongside a doorway from France. Although they may both be beautiful objects to look at, they were never designed  to be hung on a wall together. Duncan argues that the ‘creation of [a] collection depends on the destruction of something else’ (Duncan, 1995, p.17), and it makes you wonder how the pieces would have looked and functioned in their former settings, before they were removed and their original purpose was destroyed. However, if it wasn’t for works being collected together in galleries like this, would we ever get the chance to be exposed to such things? Curators will inevitably always be selective about the stories they tell in an exhibition space, as they are influenced by their own personal agendas and beliefs. But if we as individuals notice gaps in the narrative then surely it is a good thing - forcing us to become more inquisitive, to question what we see and work out for ourselves what the story truly is, of the objects we are being presented with in a museum. 

References

Books:
Duncan, C. (1995) Civilising Rituals: Inside Public Art Museums. London: Routledge. 

Gallery Space:
Medieval and Renaissance Europe: 1350-1600 London: Victoria and Albert Museum. Visited 22/8/13

Electronic Sources:
Keenan, T No Ends in Sight in Matthew, S (2012) Aide-Mémoire. The New York Inquiry [Internet] Chap.2 Available at http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/aide-memoire/ [Accessed 23/09/13]

Box Clever

Taking inspiration from the idea of 'playing around', that came out of my Rough Guide research, I put together my box of things to play with for our second project: Box Clever. The week of drawing I just did was all based on the objects I collected for my box...so here's a view of what's inside!

My objects

Close up

I wanted to collect things that made me happy, and made me want to pick them up and play with them! My box in 6 words would probably be: fun, bright, crazy, energy, interactive, playful. I chose a clear plastic box, as I wanted the contents to be visible from the outside, intriguing people and inviting them to open it up. From the curious glances directed my way when carrying my box in on the tube each morning, I think it has had the desired effect. 

Everything and the box

Some of the objects are actually toys I shared with my brother when I was younger. I have many happy memories of us setting up brio train tracks all over the house. Lots of the things in my box move, or are meant for movement. They can be blown or shaken or wound or stacked. It felt important to me that the objects weren't just static and still- the whole idea of 'playing' involves involvement! This made it quite interesting to begin drawing from my objects, as I was thinking about how I could manipulate and respond to them as I drew.

Everything IN the box

I decorated the outside of my box with some sparkly streamers and stickers. This has given it a bit of a celebratory, child's party-bag kind of feel. I like that the box unfolds in different layers as it opens- suddenly you are faced with a whole spread of quirky little things. I've had fun putting my box together...now hopefully I will have fun deriving design inspiration from it!

Fascinated by fabric II

Modern technology has opened up endless possibilities in the realm of fabrics, especially relating to recycling and sustainable design- that much was certainly clear to me after last week’s introductory TED talk! This weekend I was excited to delve in a little further when I went to hear Claudine Rousseau (course leader for LCF Sportswear) discuss smart fabrics in design at the V&A’s Fashion Festival.    

The first piece we were shown was a sports shirt made from coffee beans. The fabric was light, flexible and breathable- you would never connect it with the image of waste coffee grounds. As the beans naturally contain anti-bacterial properties that eliminate odors and wick away sweat, the fabric is perfect for activewear. 

I thought the effect of these recycled yarns heatpressed between layers of waste fabric (above) was really interesting. These samples are the work of Italian designer Luisa Cevese. I researched a bit more into her when I got back home, and I love how she applies the principle of reusing waste fibres to create accessories. Just look at these bags...

In the TED talk, the term ‘biomimicry’ was mentioned, and on Saturday, I saw a few of such fabrics in action. Inspired by the idea of water sliding off bird’s feathers, last year Scholler launched the aptly named ‘Ecorepel’, a water repellent  fabric finishing. It was fun to watch Claudine tip a bottle of water over a treated surface, and see the droplets simply roll off. There were also fabrics that mimic pine cones, with pores that open and close depending on the temperature, making it useful for outdoor activity. I’ve never really thought about fabrics in such a functional way before, and it was really interesting to hear about the specific jobs fabrics can be used to achieve for certain purposes in a design. 

 

This (left) was one of my favourite fabrics, however. 

Although functionality is great when it comes to fabric selection, I think simply appealing to the senses is also a wonderful thing in itself. This piece has been made of multiple laser cut layers bonded together. Who can resist a bit of textured shine with some bright orange peeping through...not me, that’s for sure! 

Fascinated by fabric - Spray on technology

After Kate Goldsworthy’s talk introducing TED’s sustainable design strategies last week, I was interested to look a little further into one area she raised: developments in new fabrics and technology. 

Since 2003, when Spanish designer Manel Torres collaborated with the Imperial College of London to patent ‘Fabrican’, the idea of spray on clothing has been in and out of the news.   The fabric is seamless, lightweight, washable, and can be built up in layers to achieve different thicknesses. Arguably, these properties give it the potential to be seen as a more efficient alternative to conventional garment cutting, where excess material wastage around pattern pieces is highly inevitable.  Torres was inspired by “principles of the earliest textiles such as felt, which were produced by taking fibres and...binding them together without having to weave or stitch them” (Torres, 2010, www.theguardian.com). Contained within an aerosol, the spray is made of a solvent based fibre mix that bonds together and dries on contact with the skin. This means no finishing techniques are required to create a garment, further reducing the need for extra energy and material use (such as threads and bindings). The texture and colour of the fabric can also be changed depending on the type of fibre used within the spray mixture, making it highly adaptable, and meaning it wouldn’t be restrictive to work with from a design perspective. Although the product is still being researched and refined for different purposes, Fabrican’s website suggests it also has a role in medical, hygiene and even manufacturing industries, including everything from spray on bandages to upholstery.
 

Fabrican sprayed fabrics in different colours

A spray-on t-shirt being created

A finished spray-on garment

If made widely available to the public, imagine all the different uses Fabrican could have in everyday life...small areas of fabric could be sprayed on to mend holes in existing garments, making it easier for people to increase the lifetime of their current clothes. It could be used to alter garments, such as adding pockets where you want them, quickly lengthening something, or perhaps creating sleeves for winter. Fluorescent sprays could be used to spray on reflective strips for safety when out at night...And as Bridgette Meinhold observed in an Ecouterre article,  ‘if the material rips or doesn’t fit right, it can be dissolved and reworked’(Meinhold, 2010, www.ecouterre.com). 

Spray-on technology could help people to live more sustainably by giving them the power to easily mend or renew any type of worn fabric themselves, whether on an interior piece or something wearable; therefore reducing the need to keep buying replacements. In today’s society, where quick, convenient processes are favoured by those leading busy working lifestyles, perhaps the ease of a spray on solution would at least encourage people to repair and alter, rather than discard, items from their homes and wardrobes. It will be interesting to see how Fabrican develops, and whether or not it can impact on people’s attitudes in our throwaway culture. 

References:
Sample, I (2010) Spray-on clothing becomes a reality. The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/sep/16/spray-on-clothing-t-shirt [Accessed 20/08/13]

What is Fabrican? (2010) [Internet] Available at http://www.fabricanltd.com [Accessed 19/08/13]

Meinhold, B (2010) Wearable technology- Instant Spray on "Clothing in a Can" redefines fast Fashion [Internet] Available at http://www.ecouterre.com/instant-spray-on-clothing-in-a-can-redefines-fast-fashion-video/ [Accessed 20/08/13]

Images:
Fabrican Ltd. (2010) Fabrican Fabrics [Online Images] Available at http://www.fabricanltd.com [Accessed 20/08/13]

We all love to play

When I was at the Museum of London last week, I passed through the 'Pleasure Gardens' Gallery and overheard a sweet little conversation that helped feed into my 'Box Clever' collecting. The space is filled with mannequins clad in elegant Georgian dress and when I entered, there were two little girls running around very excitedly. 

"Which dress would you wear?"
"ummm....THAT one! but with THAT hat. Which one are you?"
"This one looks like a princess-"
"-Over there, he's her Daddy"
"Oh, this one is me by the way. Actually, no THIS one is me!"

I couldn't help stopping and listening to them as it was so cute. 

"Mum, why can't we touch anything?"

As I'm basing my Box Clever collection on the idea of things to play with, it made me realise how touch is so important to playing. In the next room of the museum, there is a walkway of recreated Victorian shops, and it seemed the one most people really stopped to look at was the toyshop. Whatever age we are, I think we all love to play. We love things that are tactile, that we can interact with, that have moving parts and make us smile. So that is what my box has ended up being full of. Fun things, slightly silly and crazy things, things that you can shake and blow and press and twist around- things that I hope those two little girls would have enjoyed having a laugh with.  

My box- overview (October 2013, author's own)

Inspiration to start collecting!

How fabulous is this paper installation at the Saatchi Gallery?!

Marcelo Jácome’s Planos-Pipas

I went and saw this installation the other week, just as I was considering which objects to begin collecting and including in my 'Box Clever' collection. I felt like a little child again, standing surrounded by all these colours suspended above me! It reminded me of a kaleidoscope, or a mass of kites tangled together. Constructed from hundreds of bits of paper covering linking wooden structures, you can't help being amazed at the sheer size of it, and how bright it is. It filled me with a child-like excitement and awe, which was the perfect mind-fame I needed to start collecting my box of toys and things to play with. I want my box to have a similar effect when people open it: to make them think 'wow! this looks fun!'

Getting lost and Flanerie

Our first 'theory-Friday' (as I like to call it!) lecture was entitled 'Psychogeography: alternative ways of mapping'.  It was centred around the idea of reimagining the City, asking how a space impacts on our state of being, and thinking how we might find ways to see an area differently. 

The lecture introduced us to the idea of 'the Flaneur'. As I found during my Rough Guide research, cities are places of movement. The pace of life in London is generally fast, and standing around to sketch for the Rough Guide did get me some odd looks, as people are usually aiming to reach a certain destination as quickly as possible. The concept of Flanerie, however, is to slow down and observe. Rather than being part of the bustling crowd, lost in a flood of tired looking commuters, the aim is to rediscover the detail and wonder of the City that is already around us. So as the lecture ended, we were sent out to do just that: to go and be a Flaneur in London!

Placing my bottle at random on a map of the area and drawing round it to dictate our route, Helen and I set out to go and rediscover the City. There wasn't much chance of getting caught by the speed camera at our nice, leisurely pace.

We soon came across some very peaceful spaces just away from the main road, that we'd never passed before...and the sun was actually shining, making the walk very enjoyable! 

Tying in with this week's lecture, I visited the Museum of London, which boldly declares "London- the City of the People" on one gallery wall. So, as we walked around, I was interested in stopping to talk to people, and looking for places where people had tried to personalise the space somehow. We met one elderly lady who we were able to help open a tin that she had been struggling with, and went into a bakery to speak to the shop assistant after noticing that one of the cakes in the window had fallen over. Simply walking and observing gave us the oppertunity to have these encounters, which we would have probably missed on a planned journey somewhere. I really liked this little star decoration we spotted hanging outside someone's door. If Flanerie is about breaking away from normality and finding fun in the familiar with fresh eyes, then surely little artistic interventions like this are exactly what we need more of in the City!

After getting on a random bus for four stops, then continuing to follow our route, Helen and I found ourselves the other side of the river. And guess whose street we came across...? (mine!)

As I'm using the idea of 'playing around' for my Box Clever project, this exercise in disrupting the normality of being in a space, was quite useful. It was a reminder of the interesting and unexpected things that can happen when you retain a playful approach and take the time to notice what is really around you. 

Door to door

Here's a little more on my Rough Guide research! To help capture the sense of movement, interaction and playing I felt as I journeyed from door to door around Chinatown and Soho, I created this little gif, mapping some things I saw on my route. 

A snapshot of my observations (October 2013, author's own)

It's the first time I've made a gif animation- but I think it works well as a quick, fun way to be reminded of the feel of your research. It would be interesting to carry this simple style of animation further along in the design process to experiment with colourways for patterns and prints, too. There is an inspiring post about animating colours on 'The People's Print' blog at the moment, actually. Here is an example of one of their animations. I love the dynamic feel it has; your eye can't help being drawn across the pattern with the transition of the colours.    

Colour pattern animation
(thttp://thepeoplesprint.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/blog-post.html, Accessed October 2013)

As I mentioned before, all the strong, bold colours really stood out to me when wandering around my given research location. Continuing to explore these colours in my sketchbook has been helpful, as our upcoming technical block work takes its basis in our initial research, so I'll need to have a colour palette at the ready by then.

Sketchbook exploration (October 2013, author's own)

Along with the different colours of the doorways I was obsessed with, even  the deliveries and piles of rubbish were surprisingly colourful in Chinatown!

Looking at the way the boxes were stacked continued to remind me of the idea playing a game, as with the intercom buttons before. Some of the stacks were not that different to a game of giant Jenga- knock one part and the whole thing could topple! I realised I wanted to keep exploring this concept of playfulness for our follow-on project, 'Box Clever', where we have to collect a box of objects to inspire our first week of drawing. But more of that to follow!