textiles and me

“Transmogrify”- To change into a different shape or form, especially one that is fantastic or bizarre

I am designer who is interested in working in the space between art and design and I want to create an installation that can explore the benefits of being displayed in numerous locations. I want to look at the interplay of light and dark and how forms are situated in space.

In my previous work I have been interested in the idea of the urban landscape, and the relationships between the repetition of suburban ‘little boxes’ and more individual architecture and how this is set within a cultural and geographical context.

This is a topic that I would like to further explore this in this project. Having made contact with the OPW (Office of Public Works) and being given access to their archives I will take inspiration from the blueprints and designs of structures, most specifically those of the Glasshouses of the National Botanical Gardens. This visual imagery will inform my own paper work to create a framework for large geometric structures that can then be combined with textiles.

I will explore the notion of contrasts, setting a clean-cut geometric form in the forest or a dilapidated old house. This same piece could also be seen in a modern, clean, contemporary public space. In a commercial application I can see my work as sculptural pieces that can be transplanted and shown in different locations, exploring the territories of site-specific interior installation to nomadic forms that have a resonance in alternative locations. Modular structures may provide a helpful solution to this design problem, allowing the work to change scale and form necessary to be housed in different public buildings or private corporation offices.

I am inspired by the structures and forms that are present in some of the installations by Bjorn Dahlem and I admire the way in which architects consider light in their work especially Antoine Predock. I strive to produce work that is clean cut, architectural, sophisticated, bold, atmospheric and dramatic.

During my time in Norway I loved the idea of contemporary minimal architecture in nature and want to use this experience to influence my choice of materials and help create an atmospheric and dramatic impact with my piece. Wood is a huge part of Scandinavian design and I am intrigued with the mixture of that and textiles. I am interested in contrasting materials, especially the contrast of hard and soft. I wanted to look at using traditional fabrics with performance fabrics such as waterproofed cotton and Ripstop nylon. I think the use of these synthetic performance fabrics will help create the bold, architectural and contemporary aesthetic that I want to achieve. As well as providing a sustainable way of the piece being located outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Audience reaction to the work is pivotal in its success. In that respect I want to bridge the gap between art and design and so am looking at and admire the work of the textile manufacturing company Kvadrat who collaborate with artists and designers to create art pieces such as the “Textile Field” that Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec created for London Design Week 2012. I want my piece to create reaction through size, location, form and lighting. I am concerned by the fact that light can create a mood. I want to use light to create an impact and make something that is less impressive without light, magnificent with light.

Ultimately I aspire to create a geometric structure that can be shown in various locations and create a dramatic effect through lighting, size and location.