Collaborative exercise

 

This sample is a combination of three processes.

The first was a time-based mark produced by cold bundling the cloth with a rusted bobbin for a two-day duration, which left a patterned stain once relieved.

The second saw the application of a selection of coloured thread embroidered around the markings made within the first action.

And the third was the sectioning and bordering of the piece using simple crochet technique, which formed the beginnings of a vessel like structure.

The finished piece was a collaborative development of processes, which came together with a range of other samples to form a series for a pop up exhibition. 

As the one of the few three-dimensional pieces within the exhibition the piece provided diversity not only within the series but also within its contrasting techniques.

The combination of staining, embroidery and sculptural crochet allowed it to emit a bold presence within the selection of similar works. 

 

The collaboration exhibition as a whole however showcased an insight into the ability to combine individual practices and produced some exciting and unpredicted results.

Collectively the group was a lively representation of the personalities and character of the participants and created a sense of growth and community within the finished works. 

 This piece creates textures and a kind of design feel to it, the holes look like they were burnt with an incense stick to control the burning from spreading throughout the fabric. The holes work well with the drawn lines and create a pattern that is most interesting and really could be developed further. Even looking at the back of the piece without the lines being visible but just the holes is quite interesting. The lines have created a pattern with the holes that may not have been able to be created before without the lines. The lines and holes look great on the fabric but the fabric almost looks lost in it’s pureness, the color of it seems to fresh and obscure. I feel that the piece isn’t finished and with further sampling could really develop into a much bigger and more exciting piece. It has also given me ideas to use incense to burn with as it creates a much controlled burn that can create a more interesting pattern than if you just burnt it on the stove, left it and hoped for the best. It is an interesting piece even thought it just came from experimenting it has already given me ideas for other techniques that I could use in the future.

 

This piece is chaotic, sporadic and limitless on first observation. It is a jumbled mixture of threads that have seldom been placed with order. Looking closer at the piece, layers upon layers of this thread can be spotted, giving it levels that were unimaginable at first glance. The piece is quite fragmented due to the random nature of the threads but knowing that the piece started as a cloth and was then stripped back to such fragility gives it vulnerability and definitely adheres to the idiom ‘Hanging by a Thread’.

There is something engaging about the process behind this piece. The breaking down of the cloth strand by strand until it’s nothing but individual threads is quite poetic. I feel as though the procedure behind the deconstruction of the cloth has become the concept and the backbone of the final piece thus leaving it a little bit unresolved as a final, stand alone work.

This piece could have benefited from a reconstruction; post deconstruction but it is multifaceted and exposed through its composure, which ultimately supports its motive. 

On first viewing and unfolding of this little piece it engendered a response of 'no merit'. I couldn't see how it could be furthered and in its existing form seemed a bit chaotic, crunched up and lonely. I put it down, put it away and then returned for another viewing. I found that its merit lay in installation possibilities.
Potential power in a piece not only lies in its inheritant qualities but also in the way those qualities are presented to the viewer. Hanging lifts this crunched up bundle into a spinning, airy tendril mobile. Reminiscent of weathered paper Chinese lanterns or floating ghostly spectres or a fronded light shade. It can be imagined that a ceiling filled with many units of this kind all spinning and swaying from the movement could be an incredibly visceral experience. 

The original piece of white fabric has been transformed through the process of adding colour and structure to the piece. This transformation however dose not extend beyond random colour positioning and what appears to be intentional creases that have all but worm out of the piece through its overall construction.

The interesting combination of materials seems promising with this piece as it transforms the visual qualities of the piece through a connection between the use of domestic and the chemical materials.

This work employs the use of a cosmetic bronzer and dye that has been stained in splotches on the fabric to create a new textured and coloured surface. Never the less something falls short with this piece, as at this stage the piece seems unfinished.

The coloured properties that have been applied to the fabric are not enough to render a finalized work. This initial piece presents a starting point rather then an end piece but alludes to the possibility of further development within this interesting pairing of materials.  

While this piece has no obvious sophisticated concept about it, it is interesting to look at. It is comprised of small white cotton squares roughly about the same size and they have been machine sewn together with red zig zag stitch. The red zig zag gives the piece a slight decorative feel, more so than if it had of been a straight running stitch. It is a nice balance of order and sporadic, the order of the zig zag and the line the piece forms and in contrast the spontaneous placing of the squares.

    

This piece explores a range of lines, colours and textures. In saying this, all three elements don’t seem to fit well together especially the colour choice of the lines in relation to the colours of the stitching. The almost rhythmical layout of the stitches is effective against the backdrop of the well dispersed but controlled lines running the opposite way. I find this piece to be fun and not serious, which I find to be visually exciting. Maybe experimenting with dying and a resist could of given an equally effective line background. In terms of texture, the comparison between the 3d stitches and the flat surface of the cloth is an interesting juxtaposition and could benefit from further experimentation and development. 

 

This square piece of cotton conveys a two-stage process of creation and destruction. An ordinary piece of white cotton has been transformed firstly through the use of permaset ink on lino cut which has then been printed onto the fabric. The white shapes and lines move very freely across the piece and contrast nicely against the dark brown tone of the ink. The piece evokes a very natural feeling as it uses warm tones that are reminiscent of nature.

The white sections of the cotton have been manipulated through the use of scissors and tearing. This alters the surface as it has been torn apart so that it becomes semi-transparent. You almost feel the urge to touch the piece and peel back the edges to reveal what’s underneath and on the other side.

The silk trimming at the top section of the square adds a touch of colour and provides contrast to the piece. The smooth, flat texture of the silk is juxtaposed against the torn and rough surface of the cotton. The silk acts as a veil concealing the top half of the piece so you can only slightly see what’s underneath. The layering of the pink and orange tones apparent in the silk combined with the brown tone of the cotton alters the colouring of the piece as a whole as when you pick it up and look it from different perspectives and under the light, new shades and patterns become visible to the eye.