MA fashion and textiles

CONCEPT PANEL A

2 April 2014

FEEDBACK

Jo Newton

This was an excellent first presentation that summarised a wide range of experiments and lines of enquiry. Your idea of producing a print suitable for  modular screens for use both indoors and outdoors is inventive and original.

Your experiments with a variety of materials, from which to make textured rollers for printing patterns, has great potential. Using motifs from Elizabethan embroidery will also give you a rich source of material to stimulate designs. The combination of this and your interest in herbs and flowers will also give you a wide range of resources to use. Looking into the meaning behind the plants and herbs may also be of value as you suggest.

It was early days with your trials of using ceramics with a possible use for conservatory floors but these first trials are showing some useful results. There are some issues to consider such as weathering from rain and sun. You are researching into painted concrete (in particular from Timorous Beasties) and you are making contact with the Polymer Science group at Loughborough to enquire into this further.

Your next challenge seems to be to produce something with a 3D effect rather than a flat surface. Again embroidery seems to be a good source and Elizabethan ‘stump work’ in particular.

This was a good first presentation. You are experimenting widely and with curiosity.

The outlet for a huge variety of ceramic tiles mentioned after your presentation is:

Country Tiles East Midlands Ltd The Barn, Ridgeway House, Ridgeway Lane, Nether Heage, Belper, DE56 2JT 

Jo Newton

Concept panel B

This was a comprehensive overview of work so far. Experimentation has been varied, questioning and well researched. Other related material will be found in the research file, including sources of information. There is excellent evidence of a wide variety of mark making, using a good diversity of materials. There is still work to be done re scale. The convolvulus motif has a certain irony in that it is often seen as a weed to be displaced rather than an image to be introduced into the garden.

The ideas behind using smaller images within larger images have been begun but needs further development. Possibilities of using thermo chromatic pigments are an interesting area for experimentation utilising perhaps temperature or moisture sensitive materials. However the colours are very expensive and will have to be built up slowly.

It would be good to see what is being explored in the current market at garden events such as Tatton, Kedleston, Hampton Court and Chelsea. It might be useful to discuss with the supplier of the colours who else he might be supplying to gauge the extent, if any, of the market.

This presentation summed up an excellent first module and provides a wealth of areas for further exploration in the next module.

Make sure that the Bibliography is gradually growing and being recorded. This will provide a good basis for exploration undertaken in the History and Theory modules as they are added to the portfolio.