Weaving with Wire

One thing i wanted to explore was incorporating wire into the weaves to give them structure and enable me to manipulate them once they were off the loom. A lot of my research imagery has movement and shape so i felt making my weaves more 3D would express this well.

 (Sketch book page, pen)

(yarn wrap- colour ideas)

(blackpool pleasure beach)

I tried different ways of adding wire to the weft; these two outcomes are the most successful i think. Handling and manipulating the weaves has also helped me to think about what they might become and their context.

Below is a loom-woven basket with wire warp by Jeanette Ahlgren. I am inspired by what Jeanette has done with sculptural weaving here and the way the colour and pattern has remained strong and complentary to the form. My work is on a much smaller scale than this but has similar qualities, i would like to take these into my final outcome(s).

(Artist webpage- http://mobilia-gallery.com/artists/jahlgren/)

I have also been experimenting on a homemade basic loom with a wire warp.

                                    

                        

It has quite a rough finish as the copper wire is difficult to handle but creates a more flexible weave. I used strips of plastic bag as the colours fit well with my theme and i like the self-made pattern that the stripes create. I think this technique needs a bit more refinement but would intergrate well into my project, perhaps combined with embroidery. 

Feedback and move forward

To mark the half way point of the project we had a group feedback session where we viewed each others work collectively with the tutors. It was a really good opportunity to share our experiences and ideas with one another and gain some advice from the tutors.

One of the things i was advised was to really scrutinise my visual research in order to extract the qualities that i liked in them and communicate the mood. My tutors picked up on my eclectic mix of colours and yarns in the weaves as something to develop, as well as concentrating on the composition of my work.

During the session, we also had a chance to look at one anothers work in a bit more detail and give some of our own feedback through the medium of post-it notes. I teamed up with a student who had been doing embroidery for the first few weeks so we could discuss our experiences and share different techniques with each other, i think this was beneficial for both of us as i hadn't done embroidery before and she hadn't woven. It was really inspiring to see the range of work by my peers and helped me to reflect on my own progress. I got some positive feedback from the group which is encouraging as i move on with the project.

                                   

I have now moved into working in embroidery and have been introduced to lots of new techniques. Below are some experimental samples. Some of the techniques suit my theme more than others and i will concentrate on and push these further to see what i can achieve.

 ( cornely- chain stitch)

 ( princess pleated then painted with silk dyes)

 (machine embroidery)

(ruffler foot)

Our group feedback session- unit x blog

Weaving

The first two weeks of this project i have spent weaving. It has been quite an intensive period in which to generate and resolve my ideas. Initaially i experimented with different patterns and yarns to try and figure out the direction i wanted to go in. At this stage though my weaves felt a bit muddled, there was too much going on in them and i needed to work on the composition.

I discovered designer Malhia Kent, following a talk from weave design studio Dash and Miller. I really like her eclectic mix of pattern and colour, it made me think of my own research of the different and unusual shapes in fairgrounds and i was inspired to take this approach in my work.

(Work by Mahlia Kent)

http://www.malhia.fr/html/fr/

(sketchbook page, coloured pencil)

I worked from my drawings to capture the qualities in them. I decided to weave the two sides of my warp separatly to achieve a nice contrast of design. It took a while to find a technique that worked for this. The above weave is still a bit rough, but i like the texture that the floats create and the spaces within it.

                                         

I think this weave is more successful, i built up a repeating pattern so that the piece is more composed yet still has a random feel to it. I also added sections of wire which create an open structure and will mean i can manipulate the shape of the weave. I intend to explore the possibilities of what the weaves can become once they are off the loom and ways i can develop them.

                           

For this piece i worked in a much more refined manner, changing the lifting pattern but not the colour and adding smaller floats of unusual yarns for a bit of texture. I like the subtle detail here and the way the warp comes through more. However because the design is so small it risks being unnoticed, i think it might work better on a larger scale, which i would be interested to explore through embroidery.

Preparing to weave

 I was looking forward to returning to weave and making my own warp this time. Making some yarn wraps helped me to decide on colour and proportion. I chose the blues and white as these are most dominant in my colour palette. As we are focusing on edges and decorative features i kept the warp narrow; the space in the middle reflects the sense of space and linear qualities in my visual research.

                 

                 

                                                                                    (final warp plan)

I found the process of making a warp and dressing the loom lengthy but very rewarding.

Idea refinement

I have been inspired by many aspects of the fairground and archive theme. However my research feels a bit all over the place at the moment. As this is a relatively short project I need to pin point one aspect to focus on and develop.

I will concentrate on the shapes and patterns in the architecture of the rides and in some of the archive material. Picking out the details that are only noticed when the fairground is static and looking at the edges of photographs for interesting things to draw upon. I still want to include the unusual aspects and oddities of a fairground, i will do this by distorting some of my imagery and playing with scale.

                       

                     

                           

                                         (pages from sketchbook- pen, pencil, cutwork and collage)

The challenge is how to translate these ideas visually into textiles. I will be working in weave and embroidery with a focus on passementerie. I am looking at trims and edges with the view to develop accessories such as collars or straps. Using contrasting materials and unusual textures or shapes will give a feeling of unease and incorporating wire into my work will mean i can manipulate it to become 3D. I like the sepia tones of the old photographs and the faded "arsenical green" of the flyers; i will combine these with some of the brighter colours of Blackpool pleasure beach to create a lively colour palette.

(mood board of ideas)

Belle Vue Zoo and Gardens

Another source of inspiration has been the Belle Vue archive collection, held by Chethams Library. It was a fascinating and eyeopening experience to visit the library archive and learn about Belle Vue fairground as i had not previously even heard of it.

Collections of photographs, postcards, brochures and objects are all thats left to tell the story of the once huge attraction and i find it really interesting how all the memories and experiences of Belle Vue are contained in these fragile artefacts. I am keen to bring some of what i found out into my project.

Iconic 'Arsenical green' flyer for Bell Vue

What stood out to me was the mixture of happy and sad elements of Belle Vue. It seemed to be a conflicted place. This postcard in the archive sums it up well. It reads "We had a grand day here yesterday. Some of the animals looked dreadful."

The magical world provided an escape from the drudgery of working life and industrial towns; 

people put on their sunday best and came from all over the country for a day at Belle Vue. It was a family run business with its own brewery and firework production. This make shift/ DIY attitude has a romantic notion and it made me think of travelling circuses and how they live on the edges of society.

However i think if you look closer you can see that it wasn't idyllic, there is a shabbiness to Belle Vue and it obviously became more and more run down before it closed. I want to explore the hidden details and complex layers of the place.

I am also interested in the side shows and oddities of fairgrounds. Looking through the photographs, many seem quite bizarre. There is a sinister undertone to the fairground life that is disturbing and leaves you feeling uneasy. It is this contrast of light and dark that is really intriguing to me.

Figure skater at Belle Vue (source-online archive)

Belle Vue flickr

Chetham's archive

National Fairground archive- costumes

Pinterest Inspiration

I find Pinterest really helpful to gather together inspiring images quickly and easily at the start of a project.

At this early stage i have many ideas i want to explore; i have made 3 boards of different themes to begin to make sense of my ideas and make sure none of them are lost. I will add to and edit as the project progresses.

Fairgrounds and Archives

On the edge-By the seaside

Side shows and Oddities