I
have experimented with a variety of techniques in the first stages of my
deconstruction. I started with a pure white piece of 100% woolen cloth. I chose
this fabric because I like the way that wool smolders instead of burns and I
was interested in experimenting with that technique. First of all I made a dye
bath of yellow mustard powder and dyed the cloth. I was unhappy with the
yellowness of the dye and I thought that the colour lacked the depth and
richness that I wanted to achieve. I then made a second dye bath of black tea
and experimented with folds, which was very effective. I then rolled the fabric
up and wrapped a thin metal string around the material. I then burnt the wool.
I repeated this at both ends of the fabric. Originally the heat produced a very
interesting pattern as the metal string divided the burn marks. I used the
stovetop to burn the fabric as I found that it gave an even and controlled
burn. After I burnt the fabric I then tried to create variation with the tea
colour by using bleach and refolding the fabric resulting in the black burn
marks to be washed off. The next stage in the deconstruction of the cloth will
once again be to burn the material and hope that it will produce the same
interesting black marks that it originally did. I then steam bundled the cloth
with berries to add a new dimension, which I think is very interesting as I
didn’t removed the pulp of the berries after I steamed the wool, so now the
fabric has the seeds and pulp residues over it. This has added an interesting
dimension and texture. I will look at experimenting with beeswax and plaster in
the reconstruction process but at this present time I have no particular vision
of what the end product will be.
Steph your process of destruction has turned out really beautifully! The colours that you have achieved are very reminiscent of nature and have an earthy quality to them.
ReplyDeleteI think you should experiment more with burning the wool to the point where the edges reach a charcoal and not use as much of the bleach as it gets rid of the beautiful tones that you have achieved through dying. Maybe you could try burning a square of wool to the point where it reaches charcoal and then somehow incorporate these pieces onto the large piece as a whole.
Steph, my favourite segments of the deconstruction process you have taken are the burning stage and the berry stage. From what you have shown me in class, I love the way your fabric looked after each of these stages. The thing that I like the most about these stages is the residue that remains on the fabric, with the berry seeds and the burnt fibres. Because these residues are so attractive, I would recommend avoiding any dyeing or bleaching processes after you have done this, as these methods of destruction could alter the way that the residue looks. Why don't you dye or bleach or whatever first and then leave the burning and berry marking to the final stage so this beautiful effect remains in your final piece.
ReplyDeleteYou have used a lot of destructive techniques which is really good and your results so far are very strong. I like the burnt section at the ends especially because they look like decay over time and wear and tear of the cloth. It almost looks like worn paper. Hopefully you have decided on your final approach by now but if not, I think it would be good to focus on the burnt patches and the shapes you can achieve. Perhaps some layering of different worn out areas could be effective.
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