Evaluation

My starting point for this brief was 'Urban influences'; the visual research if gathered focused on the zoomed in textures of road surfaces and grates. The visuals I had gathered were limiting the possibilities for creating a body of diverse work. I found my concept in some of the drawings of grids and developed the 'Structured and Organic' concept into broadening out into looking at pattern formations in architecture. Photography and photoShop have been my main source of visual research because I was interested in the layering and revealing effects. These tools also allowed me to distort and create patterns within the pictures of buildings. I used these images as my main colour palette source.  

Throughout this project I struggled with yarn choices and a colour theme. If I wasn't the texture it was getting proportions of colours right. It became an obstacle with my creative processes which was holding up the amount of samples I was producing. I removed the colours that were becoming a problem and concentrated on reflecting my concept of distorted patterns through my knitting technique with out the distraction of garish colours. I was then able to create a range of structures based on the architectural research I had done. 

The context I would most like my work to fit into is interiors. I would like my knitting samples to be a starting point for creating furniture like statement piece chairs. However for this project the yarns I have worked with fit into a more fashion based context. I would like to develop my work to further in man made materials and bendable metals to make my collection more viable for a furniture design context. I also need to work on a much larger scale to create an idea of how a knitted structure would translate into furniture design because the scale of the structure would affect the design of the knitting.

Claire Anne O'Brien's knitted furniture is my inspiration for large scale knitting however I would consider using heavy duty plastics and metal to create modern fluid looking structures in furniture a like the designs V Dekka and Jean Marie Massaud's furniture. I would need to collaborate with people from different genres of design, however this is where I imagine my designs being developed for in the future.

V Dekka Table

My concept progressed with my project to broaden the creative outcomes. My concept was clearly 'structured and organic' when I started my visual research but then progressed to being 'distorted patterns' when I translated these drawing into knitting. I decided that combining both concepts towards the end of the project would be interesting especially affect the influence of Antoni Gaudì's architecture, which introduced the fluid looser style of my drawings into my knitting which created a clear contrast of 'structured and Organic' in the samples. 

Week Seven

I re looked over Barbara Rae's paintings because of the way some of her painting have a colourful wash over parts of them that reveal areas of the painting from beneath the wash. I wanted the translucent layered effect to be resembled into my knitting. 

I evaluated my collection of final samples and realised that they were all predominantly dark. I felt that the collection needed more diversity so I designed one to completely contrast the rest of the collection. I combined a heavier vibrant green yarn with a much lighter yarn in a navy blue. By using my punchcard the sample gave a very linear composition a like the Zaha Hadid inspired drawing I drew. It also has a transparent layered affect that also complemented my concept of distorted patterns. 

I decided to incorporate some of the much heavier yarns in with the lighter lace style knitting I had created. The combination of the punchcard and chenille yarns gave a very distorted look which contrasted the more graphic look of the crisper yarns. 

Week Six

Now that I had found a collection of yarns that conveyed a sturdy knit structure, I decided to incorporate some of the yarns that I had discarded in the past, due to the mottled affect they created when combined without smooth yarns.  I used moments of theses yarns in my structures to make the samples less flat and to build a better correspondence between the yarns and my drawings. I wanted to focus on some of the transparent qualities that my drawings and photographs have. These qualities give a subtle layered affect with small moments of the textured yarns give. Also the textured yarns contrast the heavy wool yarns I've used, like the contrast in line qualities in my drawings. 

 

I utilised the punchcard design by combining it with the bond down loops that the partial knit technique created. I wanted to elaborate on the distorted pattern concept; the punchcard design links well with the geometric structures I had plain knitted so combining the techniques created a three dimensional interpretation of the pattern. The effect of this relates well too some of the loose qualities I show in my drawing.
In the same sample I rotated the knit so that both the back and front sides of the punch card are visible. I found that the loose lines the build up the pattern are a reference to my build up line composition drawings. This also changes the pattern and makes it seem as though the pattern is unraveling away. I like the organic nature to this sample. Though I feel the punchcard would translate strongly in the smooth yarns and the right way up to show its graphical qualities.

I introduced a tape yarn into my collection because it a sturdyer yarn that holds its linear shape well. This yarn dominated the pattern on the back of the punchcard which really exhibited the pattern clearly on that side. In contrast it looked subtle on the front. I mixed the composition around so that there is a moment of the reverse on the right side of the sample.

Week Five

This week I decided that I wanted to focus solely on the structure of my knitting. I removed all the colours that where detracting from the focus of the structure and used 4 ply wool yarn because of its heavy but smooth in texture; which I feel resembles structures best. I combined partial knit with hooking up so that the rolls that the hook up create would make more of a secure structure to the knit. 
I have become interested in how the partial knit affects the structural affect of the knitting. I found that when the knit was knitted in columns then attached together with a hooking up roll the columns adopt a different formation that again reflects a more bold structure. I am considering only lightly steaming these samples so that I don't detract from the affect.

 

 

I have looked at furniture designers for inspiration as to how structures can be used as the main design instead of just purposeful. 'Heaven' by Jean Maries Massaud Emu, is a steel framed table that is composed of the same diamond shapes just in different proportions. I have varied the scale of my collums to create more depth within my knitted structures. I feel that with different material choices for example man made materials that hold a shape, I could create large scale frames to be used in a furniture design context.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I experimented further by knitting the same structure on hold to see the affect the longer knitted columns had on the shorter pieces. The loops that these created gave a more fluid look to the sample which I feel relates to some of my looser drawings. 

 

 

 

I looked at Antoni Gaudì's architecture because I felt that the loopy formations in my samples were mildly similar to some of his structures. His architectural structures resemble the skeletal form which could be an interesting way of creating patterns from this subject. Perhaps the pillars and posts that hold a building together are a virtual skeleton. The loops in my knit that are suppressed and bond down resemble the vertebrae of a spine. 

 

 

 

 

 

Week Four

From my photoshop practice I created layered imagery to compose an image that focused on the structures of the business school. I chose colours that compliment each other to dominate the image but I left a moment of vivid yellows and greens to make a point of focus. 

 My yarn choices were not reflecting the imagery I have been working from. This is mainly because I had been using textured yarns that are mucky colours, whereas the photoshop images are crisp vivid colours. The shapes in the imagery are geometric, so a smoother yarn would provide a better translation between this imagery and my work. I also need to reflect the compositions and proportions of a vibrant colour through the knit samples. The interruptions of the vibrant colour had been too formulaic in my samples, which didn't resemble the perspective in the spacing of the lines from my source imagery. 

 I made some yarn samples to match the qualities of the photos. I introduced three vibrant colours to break up the denseness of the dark blues. I found that I need to really focus on proportions of colours because that affects how well the colours compliment each other. They can also not work well directly next to each other although they work as a collection. I found that the yellow I chose looked garish with the shade of blue I had used.  

 To translate some of these vivid colours into my knitting, I looked at Ross Lovegrove's Renault car design. I am interested in the relation between the organic structures and textiles on the seats, with the contrast of hard and soft. This linked to one of my earlier concepts, and encouraged me to combine the punchcard patterns with the knitted structures. I chose to do this because I could control the view points by disclosing and revealing parts of the pattern view through use of multiple layers.The colours harmonise then interrupt each other with a vibrant intersections, which are similar to the lines of yellow in my photoshop photographs.

Week Three

I experimented with combining textured yarns with formulaic patterns to see if they would create a gravel affect to relate to the imagery I was taking creative information from. In doing this I found that by rotating with yarn I had in the main part of the carriage I could distort the pattern. The textured yarns blend into each other than emphasises that affect.

After starting my knit samples I realised that there is a developing theme of interrupted patterns with in sketch practise and my samples. I feel this is building on the concept of the 'structured and organic'. I had been struggling to build a collection of visuals to base my knitting on because the 'structure and Organic' are broad terms. However, with the idea of creating these formulaic patterns I decided to look at architecture.  I took photographs of modern buildings and staircase structures. which I then manipulated on Photoshop to recreate the patterns and colours in a way that would be beneficial to my knitting. I found the structures inspiring in the buildings because of the layers and patterns they created, this lead me to start an experimental approach to my knitting. I found that the techniques I had learnt from knitting a sock influenced my practise so I decided to create layers of shape onto another knitted sample. I then took the sample further by recasting the knitting on to the knitting machine to divide the dark yarns with strips of brighter colours to relate the colour theme to my photoshop edits. 

Zaha Hadid's Drawings interest me as they are very linear and basic. I am interested in the way she indicates moments of interest by how dense the black block it but also the way she hasn't drawn everything as though she has left that for the viewer to comprehend.

 

My interpretation of the Negative space on a sky line

Week Two

My concept of layers within urban Tarmac has a limited range of ideas that could fuel a whole project so I have expanded on to looking at the grids and grates on the roads. I researched the Boyle family, their zoomed in photographs of road markings that emphasise mondain surface textures make interesting compositions that include photos of geometric and organic shapes. The drawing I have made based on the Boyle Family research have a payed down paint surface with geometric shapes layered over it. 

BOYLE FAMILY ART WORK

I decided to created rubbings from the grids and overlaid the rubbings which was a helpful practice to refocus on composition awareness. I experimented with using the pin tuck foot to draw with the sewing machine. I then painted over the embroidery to highlight the raised drawings. I did this because I had been placing random grounds down on my paper to create a textured surface to work onto. The sewing machine method meant that I could pick up elements of the composition that interested me the most.  From looking at the grids I realised that there is another concept developing in my visuals which is 'organic and structure'. This became apparent because the majority of the drawing and photographs have a distinct contrast between the organic and structure. I realise now that I need to broaden my visual research and branch away from just looking at the pavements. 

 I based my colour palette on the photo shop edited images. I wanted the mondain subjects to look lively and more interesting than they usually appear. 

Week one

I have chosen the 'Urban influences' brief to base my visual research on. My concept is to focus on the pavement and the roads. I am going to explore the layers of patchy Tamarac with exposed cobbles relieved from the bottom layer. I also want to look and the cracked road paint/ signs and grates that are placed around theses things. I have started my drawings and paintings with a large element of texture that I have created by printing painted surfaces onto the grounds of my drawing before I start. 

Negative points about starting in this way are that some of my drawings and background dominated which makes them appear flat with no compositional depth. To retract from that I have researched Barbara Rae's style of painting where she introduces collage into her vibrant paintings. I looked at the way she composes her paintings in colour proportions and texture proportions. The paintings I had started are in my A4 sketch book which limited the gestural style that I was aiming to achieve. So I have expanded to a larger sketchbook and onto paper. 

 

 

The group liked my abstract style of drawing because of it's loose qualities in the drawings. They found the marks that I created in a range of media. The scale of my work is large and dominant, which the group felt complements my layered compositions.

Because my work varied in style and subject, the group felt that I could narrow my subjects down. For weave my work might benefit if I did more painting observations of texture and colour. Also I could photocopy and blow up areas or my current drawings that could be collaged and manipulated

Georgia Fisher

Georgia uses her  paintings and collages to base her luxury weave samples on. I feel interested by her work because of the way that she has captured moments of charcoal alike marks in yarn textures. I think that her working method is similar to my way of practise, because I like to base my woven work on the colours and mark qualities that are in my paintings.

Henry Moore

On a visit to Thailand,  I collected coral that washed up on the beach. I concentrated on the ghost outline shape of coral so I drew the negative space around leaving the blank shape of the coral. Henry Moore's sculptures and drawings have very organic shapes that arc smoothly and allow the tone of shadows to add more extravagance to the shapes. 

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid is a  

Rob Sawer

Rob Sawer builds up a surface to bed his abstract landscape paintings over. His landscapes are painted as though they are viewed from a satellite and focus on the light and sky, earth and ground but also time and memory. Earth is shaped by the weather but also the foot steps. I often find interest in the natural staircases in the land that have been created by cattle. I find natural things to be the sauce of patterns and texture and see the things as ever changing pieces of art because ineveitably these things will not stay the same forever. It would be interesting to Create a piece of cloth that I could constantly evolve over time. 

I think that in many ways something I could weave could evolve in its intentions of use, which is another way of evalution. Rob Sawer has inspired me to work directly with texture and  to process paintings/collages that usually I would leave alone. 

Aline Nakagawa de Oliveira

Aline Nakagawa's work is based on DNA however I have a select interest based on the way she captures a pattern but It doesn't flow her patterns in a repetive way. Her yarn choices have a reflective glair from the depth of shadows of the darker toned yarns. I think that Aline Nakagawa's method could be a similar way of working to mine because I use the colour and tone changes in my paintings which I then relate to weave samples.

Material Mnemonics

Zana Ajvazi 

'Work inspired by research into material innovation, and the crossovers between textiles and other disciplines, including science and socio-economics; also the intricacy and interplay of different cultures, materials and traditional weaving techniques. - See more at: http://www.texprint.org.uk/index.php/designer/zana-ajvazi/#sthash.4AnoWYFZ.dpuf' 

Zana Ajvazi's work manipulates her woven textiles to experiment with new technology, however I am interesting in the  lack of certainty in the way the fabric will evolve after being processed. The steam beds could be an interesting way of creating a three dimensional form in the cloth in a way that connotes the change in process of weather and wear and tear. 

I visited the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. The textures within the exhibits were what caught my attention. I found that the changes of natural objects were particularly interesting because of the way they naturally decompose but the way they disfigure due to them being processed unnaturally. It made me consider the beauty and art that is created unintentionally and uncontrollably. As an example rusting metal, rotting wood even the wear on car tires. 

A cropped image of a charred wooden block. At the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition.

David Nash is a sculptor who uses wood. His work inspires me because he uses raw edges in his work. To me this is a very honest way of working by allowing the medium you are using to be beautiful out right by it's self.Although wood as a medium for my Textiles based projects wouldn't be something I could use, many of it's qualities can be translated through yarn. Also the formation of the fabric could relate to this style of sculpture and could have three dimensional qualities.

On a quest to find inspiration within the small mundane things around where I live, the things that I usually over look, but from seeing the RCA Summer Exhibition I wanted to look at the things that are not in a state that generally would be considered 'perfect'. This tire has a formation that was intended for reasons beyond its appearance, there has been a lot of control in its design though as its been used the wear on the tire has happened through no design control. With that thought I want to consider pieces of art work I could create with a lot of design control then allow the piece to gain character through no control of my own. Possibly through weather or sanding it down.

my close up image of a car tire

ELLE Decoration is always a big source of inspiration as I am very interested in interior design, I would like my textiles career to link closely to interior, whether that be with fabric or more sculptural pieces like lighting. The August 14 edition caught my eye because of its uses of drift wood for furniture. I like the uses of natural materials and the colour schemes are neutral. The interior has been upcycled from 'dyed grain stacks' which has interesting textures in it.

Unit X Pinterest Board

http://gb.pinterest.com/zoeatkinson12/unit-x/

Unit X Conclusion

When I reviewed my embroidery samples, I realised that my colours appeared flat because they were pre dyed synthetic fabrics. In weave, I was keen to add even minimal shifts of shades to differentiate the way that the texture of the yarn affects the appearance of the colour throughout. I learnt that you do not need to change colours drastically to achieve depth within the sample and imagery.

Although I worked individually, it was very useful to have group critics on my work because it enabled me to look and explore various processes and takes on the same brief. I found my group tutorials had a big affect on the progress of my work. From my first tutorial I was advised to broaden my colour palette and to do a more extensive range of drawings for my visual research.

Some examples of my samples before I broadened my colour palette.

My contextual research was vital to my understanding of the uses of and variety in passimentrie. I looked across the art platforms to inform my visual research. Piet Mondrian's style of drawing the structure of trees informed my mark making, and transformed my drawings from being solid blocks of colour to now having contrasting marks and colours, which I found particularly useful for my woven passimentrie. My new visual research had movements of vivid colour being revealed from a darker shade. I found that darker yarns with small sections of vibrant ones lift the whole sample. I placed these vibrant colours in occasionally to prevent the pattern from looking to regimented, because my drawings are loose with sudden moments of colour.

Acrylic painted Sketch book page with a woven sample inspired by this page.

I experimented with dyes and colour transfer processes, which were not always successful due to the synthetic materials I had used in my samples on. The dye would lift from the synthetic ribbon but the threads stayed to the original colour. The threads dyed in the dye baths, however the ribbons colour didn't really take, the colours went moody. This did give some depth to my flatter samples, but was still disappointing, in reflection I should have used natural materials.

 This then affected my fabric choices to using mainly natural fabric like wool and linen in my embroidery samples so that I would have the option of reprocessing them if I wanted to.   I decided that my process of practice works more efficiently when I construct a pattern instead of embellishing readily patterned fabrics. It was easier to create embroidery samples after I had a body of weave pattern designs to influence my work. I chose chenille yarn to use in my weave because it empathised the linking structure of the pattern more prominently due to it being a thicker yarn. To relate my embroidery samples to my weave samples I enlarged key moments in the patterns formed in the weave, with flocked ribbon and mock suede because they resembled the chenille well. 

Woven samples. In the middle; chenille yarn with larger proportions. On the right; chenille yarn with ribbon weft.

 

Embroidery samples on linen, with flocked ribbon and cord. Inspired by my Woven samples.

During this project, I have learnt a new technique, which with additional time I would have chosen to develop. This was a combination of a weave and embroidery technique, where you create a warp that is bound together with a dissolvable fabric and stitch. With this process, I would have liked to make my own ribbon that I would have embroided down on to fabric with the 21 braiding foot. This could have given me more control over colour and would have been an interesting way to combine weaves into embroidery.

Overall, I am pleased with the progress of my work through Unit X. Generally, I have stuck to the concept of roller coaster structures and linking shapes. I have learnt that my embroidery approach is stronger when I construct new patterns on the fabric. I feel that my embroidery samples improved after I had woven my weave samples. I feel that it was because of the strong pattern of linking shapes in the double cloth warp structure. My weave samples provided me with compositional ideas and colours that I then reflected in my embroidery samples. 

I am pleased I progressed from my original colour pallet, because my newer varied colours allowed my compositions to have moments of contrasting colour to show that the pattern isn't too regimented. I feel that my colour palette has been the biggest challenge to overcome through unit X. In the beginning I trapped myself in a limited palette, which affected my visual research that was feeding my ideas for embroidery processing. I think that I managed to overcome this problem by introducing complementary and contrasting colours to the red hues.

The use of blue contrasts with my original palette of orange and red.

I am also aware that synthetic fabric will not dye very well so I decided to use natural linens and wool fabrics to allow me to experiment with dying and heat transfer processes.