An exhibition to check out

I have not been yet but I've heard that this exhibition is definitely one to see; Decode at the V&A.

It is all about digital technology and how it is being utilised by designers today.


Weave Mirror
2007
Daniel Rozin


Tree
2005
Simon Heijdens

http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/decode/exhibition

Sentence Drawings

The entirety of 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac



Elegant visual interpretation of all the sentences within "On The Road', after each sentence the line turns right.

Visual representation of data is something that has been introduced to me through unit 1 (critical studies element) at CSM and is also something that we will be looking at in our next projects work.

Paper Battery

Researchers lead by Yi Cui at the University of Standford have developed a paper battery using nanotechnology. Its always best to be skeptical of research labs that claim that their technologies will be ready for the market soon, as claims can be exaggerated however there are real possibilities for an ink that could store electricity. They suggest possible uses being in cars and inside cell batteries to make them lighter however what else could be coated or printed onto - fabric? Perhaps a dress that has both solar panels and a surface design that stores that energy?

For more information see the link below
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/december7/nanotubes-ink-paper-120709.html

Graphic Object Studio - Styling Workshop

This is an image that Graphic Object studio produced for a recent Viewpoint magazine.

Recently we were visited by Emma and Fabrizio from the Graphic Object Studio, who spent the day running a styling workshop. The whole idea was to get us to consider how we style and present our work and that to get beautiful imagery doesn't have to be high tech or expensive.

We spent the day working in groups of 4, each group was given a different word for which we were required to produce a visual. My group's word was 'obstruction'. Below are a couple of images from the day and my group's development of ideas






Below is my favorite image from our photo shoot. All made with folded paper, a card box and a few light sources - magic!



www.graphicobject.com

Very Designers Block

This organisation had its own section at 100% Design and works with designers from very early in their careers onwards, putting on excellent design shows that really demonstrate the breadth of design culture today. Any designer can apply to be selected join and show their work at the various shows and exhibitions Designers Block puts on including stands at events such as Interiors Birmingham.


Designers Block at 100% Design, Earls Court

http://www.verydesignersblock.com/

Design Crit

This video is something I put together to show some of the ideas I have for the development of my project. I have been creating 3D pieces that reference the shapes from the maps of London and the details of the architecture. Playing with altering scale, enlarging small architectural details and shrinking map segments so that they fit onto the body. I was interested in creating multifunctional pieces that fit within the area of nomadic architecture, forms that alter the space around the body.

However several points that were raised in my crit made me reassess my work up to now on this project. I have jumped ahead of myself trying to make to finished a concept that has moved too quickly from samples to pieces. Its always interesting when people respond to the samples you least expect them to. For example the sample below is a 3D piece constructed directly from the shapes from an antique map of London. I am interested in the idea of how a 2 dimensional diagram such as a map describes something 3 dimensional.




Some of my most important research came from a book called; "Bodyline; The End of Our Meta-Mechanical Bodies" published by the AA School of Architecture. It is a collection of architectural students work that responds to the body, one unit brief asks them to start with traditional pattern blocks as their starting inspiration;
"...the lines and developed curves of flat pattern notation, a constructional method that 'collapses' and reorganises the three dimensions of the body into two, and a fictional narrative about function, in lieu of the traditional architectural brief."
(George L. Legendre, Bodyline: The End of our Meta-Mechanical Bodies, England, AA Architectural Association, 2006, pg 39)


Tiny Deaths
Carolin Hinne

“Tiny Deaths… is deeper than a pattern sheet and shallower than a garment.”
(George L. Legendre, Bodyline: The End of our Meta-Mechanical Bodies, England, AA Architectural Association, 2006, pg 8)


I am fascinated by the way that when I stitched the flat 2 dimensional pieces together they became 3 dimensional, it is interesting the relationship between the 2 dimensional and the three dimensional and how one is intrinsically linked to the other.

Nanoforce visit

New smart textiles are chemical and not electrical.

A really good day was spent by all us Textile Futures ladies at Nanoforce in London, they are a research facility working with nano technology. Much of the science they sent our way went over my head, however the possibilities they showed us were truly exciting, and the best thing is that they are supportive of inquisitive textile students.

Definitely something for future thought!

http://www.nanoforce.co.uk/

Rihanna in a Moritz Waldemeyer Jacket

Rihanna in a jacket made by Moritz with over 50 lasers on it, worn when she performed at the American Music Awards.

Warp Factor 9

This is exhibition contains work by the Textile Futures Research Group and as well as work by both my tutors and some recent graduates from my course.
http://www.warpfactor09.com/
http://www.tfrg.org.uk/



Elisa Strozyk
'Wooden Textiles'
What is Textile Futures for you?
We will have to deal with more waste and fewer resources. It is fundamental that we are aware of the life cycles of objects. That means we must use material that is able to grow old beautifully. It is crucial to aim for a closer relationship between subject and object.




Caroline Till
Photography by Simon Ward
'London: A Visual Essay'
What is Textile Futures for you?
Collaboration and strategic decision making, informed by a wealth of research.




Carole Collet
'Pop Up Lace'
What is Textile Futures for you?
A design revolution in disguise.




Kate Goldsworthy
'ReSurfaced'
What is Textile Futures for you?
A material world designed in sync with natural cycles.





Suzanne Lee
'BioCouture'
What is Textile Futures for you?
My vision is to produce desirable textiles and clothing with the utmost respect for the natural world.




Shelly Fox
'The Fat Map Collection'
What is Textile Futures for you?
Both the aesthetic and sustainability of a fabric led by both technical and design solutions.




Eunsuk Hur
'Nomadic Wonderland'
What is Textile Futures for you?
Changing materials from the ordinary into the extraordinary through communication with users to provide a sense of durability.

Interactive Architecture

Ruairi Glynn
'Performaive Ecologies'
www.ruairiglynn.co.uk

Check out his blog;
http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/

Tent London & 100% Design

Before the start of my course I visited both 100% Design and Tent London to start up my design research again.
One area I found particularly interesting was Tent Digital, the images below are of a movement triggered piece that was incredibly visually effective.




'Gold'
MSA Visuals LTD
http://www.msavisuals.com/gold

Infra red cameras relay real time feed to software that translates it onto the screen .

Solar Textiles

In a workshop at CSM we learnt all about photovoltaics (solar cell technology) and recapped our shaky GCSE physics knowledge on electricity and building circuits! We all built our own soft circuits using conductive threads and or fabrics, creating our own smart textiles. One point was raised though, whatever research labs say about their 'new and exciting' technologies is not all of it will come to fruition. To take a slightly cynical view, funding always needs to be secured!

Below is a picture of my soft circuit, there is a battery wired in but that was just to test, there wasn't much sun, but a solar panel could be put in the battery's place! The Velcro in the image is conductive and acts as he switch.



One of the most interesting points that I found was the idea that it is important to look beyond the face benefits of new technology. For example there are now flexible solar cells, great, however they only last a matter of months and there is the issue of how to recycle such products, our recycling system is not equipped to deal with them, not to mention all the resources that are used to produce these relatively short living cells. So in actual fact the large solar panels you see on roofs are more ecologically sound, so just because something is tagged as a 'green' energy source doesn't necessarily mean it is beneficial to the environment. This is not to be negative, but these aspects are important for designers to consider when working with this technology.

Is was a great three days however and some wonderful things were created!

Below is Sophy's LED bracelet



Below is an image of a prototype interactive drawing board, when the graphite touches the surface the circuit is connected and LEDs light up.


A flexible solar cell

Aitor Throup

This is the work of fashion designer Aitor Throup and his recent collaboration with C.P. Company and his reinvention of the 'Goggle Jacket'.

I have always loved Aitor Throup's work and the importance he places upon on function, and utility. His sketches are also amazing. Working from body casts or maquettes he creates toiles based on characters and their needs, in the exhibition at the RCA for this project his process of design was given as much importance as the finished jacket and its functions. The jacket has articulated pockets that actually change the shape of the jacket when the wearer is sitting down.





I just find his work truly fascinating - the concept of allowing the function to inform and dictate the aesthetic.

www.aitorthroup.com

Intial ideas

The images are initial ideas I have been playing with for my project. Taking the idea of iconic architecture I looked at first creating a sense of movement, however this seems a little heavy handed portraying London as a fast paced city - everyone knows that!




This second image I find more interesting the idea of an evolving London, the morphing of architecture from old to new.




However although I am aesthetically pleased with the image for me its not enough - where do I take it from here? I always find I tend to work best three dimensionally, perhaps I can incorporate these images onto 3D pieces inspired by the shapes of the architecture.

Mapping The City

So our first project for CSM is called 'Landed; Mapping a City', its all about looking at London, in my case with fresh eyes. What are my impressions of the city, what fascinates me and what sums up the place?

To be honest I'm finding it tough there are so many ideas floating around in my head at the moment. I am always drawn to structure and shape so I think architecture is something that I will be looking at as a starting point.

To try and get myself started I took a stroll along Southbank and did a TimeOut walk around Brick Lane and the surrounding area, below are some of the photographs I took.

Southbank





TimeOut

Moritz Waldemeyer Lecture

We had a lecture this term by Moritz Waldemeyer who has worked with the likes of Hussein Chalayan and Zaha Hadid. An engineer, specialising in electronics by training, Moritz designed and constructed the electronics for Hussein Chalayan's 'Airborne' LED Dresses and 'Readings' laser and Swarovski crystal dresses.


READINGS
2008 S/S


AIRBORNE
2007 A/W

It was fascinating to see the results of collaboration on ideas between two people from different disciplines. Seeing the benefit of collaboration is one aspect that is really important to the development of textiles, to learn and distil knowledge from different disciplines and to apply textile skills and knowledge to see what results.

Check out more of Moritz's work
http://www.waldemeyer.com/

V&A - "Telling Tales" Exhibition

I always enjoy a visit to the V&A and I happened to catch the 'Telling Tales' exhibition, I was not sure what to expect, but it was excellent. Framing the design works in the context of telling stories and the connections we make to things around us is a powerful and intriguing idea, which worked well throughout the exhibition conecting all the pieces.



One of the pieces exhbibited was 'Else' by designer Julia Lohmann. Lohmann's Else is one of a herd of 30 'cow benches', each is made of a single cow hide and is constructed using hand carved foam. The pieces are extremely effective and thought provoking, her work challenges the viewer to contemplate the source of the material and the life that was lived by the animal.

In another of Lohnmann's collections 'Ruminant Bloom', light shades made from pigs intestines, she looks at using normally discarded materials from animals. I am very interested in this idea of pushing people to consider the sourcing of materials used, if we use leather why not utilise as many products as possible from an animal? The lamp shades are incredibly beautiful and highlight the amazing natural structure of the intestine.



http://www.julialohmann.co.uk/


Below is the link to the exhibitions site
http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/telling-tales/



'Do You Hear What I Hear?'
Kelly McCallum
(born Canada, 1979)
2007



'Clone' chair
Julian Mayor
(born Britain, 1976)
2005
CNC-cut birch plywood

What is Textiles? What is Textile Futures?

Textiles
A material? A Process - both hand and digital

Textile Futures
Technology and tradition

I don't think I can really answer the second question of what is my own texile future, this is something I hope to refine as I progress through my two years at CSM