Unit X Initial research

Unit X Initial research

When receiving our Unit X Brief entitled “Endangered crafts” our group initially decided to try and change the perception of the word ‘Craft’ into something with more of a contemporary connotation. We discussed Using scale to change idea of craft as a small and time-consuming activity into something that can be more widely used and enjoyed. We also eventually came to the decision that we would look at one craft collectively to make sure our research was cohesive.

The two main issues affecting the viability of Heritage crafts that we chose to focus on were:

Recruitment -A lack of awareness that the craft exists as a career option,

Ageing workforce -few or no younger people entering the craft

We began discussing Key issues that we can try and tackle within our project:

How?   - Make craft more appealing to young people

-       Create a piece that changes preconceptions of ‘craft’

-       Surveys to find out what people associate with the word craft?

-       Find people making a living from craft

-       Find ways to combine craft with more contemporary work

-       Experiment with scale and material to show different potentials

-       Workout what influences younger people, advertise craft in that way (social media etc)

As a group we began our research by visiting the Kate Haywood exhibition at The Manchester Art Gallery In the hope that we would gain some idea into the craft that we wanted to focus our research and development around. 

When looking at Haywood’s work in association with the ideas we have been discussing for this unit, I focused on the way the clay works to support the softer fabrics. This use of contrasting materials, one material acting as a form of support for the piece is something I’d like to explore, using the Strength of the traditional craft as something that holds apiece together. I was also surprised to find that the material was clay, as it looked so light, like plastic. This idea of the strong material initially not being perceived as durable is something I’d like to utilise. Using Heritage craft as the ‘backbone’ of the piece, but when you look at it you don’t see a craft until you look closer. Maybe this disguising of the craft will change people’s perceptions of it.

After some time, we collectively decided to focus our research on Passementerie. This is the point where our research became less about heritage craft as a whole and also became more individually motivated. We all began looking into different areas of Passementerie; I decided to focus on tassel and fringe making. I still maintained an interest in Haywood’s work and wanted to allow my textiles to work harmoniously with more industrial materials as one of the main issues affecting the viability of the craft is the use of industrial machinery in producing Passementerie as oppose to the more traditional hand making.

When beginning to research contemporary work that could fall under the umbrella of Passementerie, I came across Anton Alvarez’s ‘Thread wrapping architecture’. They make use of a machine called a ‘Thread wrapping machine’ which uses only Glue coated threads to attach various materials together, while totally wrapping it in yarns and thread.

I became really interested in the process used, and how eventually the robust materials, such as wood, became covered in textiles and how this changed the perception of the potential strength of the work.

As stated by the artist -  “I wanted to create an externalised joint that would enable me to combine a big range of different materials that normally would require very time-consuming methods of joining them together, and at the same time, to create a decorative pattern formed by the different colours of the thread.”

I plan to begin sampling using a variety of strong, industrial materials such as clay, concrete and stone combined with soft, handmade Passementerie inspired samples in order to create the illusion of strong textiles, as discussed within my group but also commenting on the beauty of handmade craft as oppose to industrialised Passementerie.

Through further research into Passementerie, using the Endangered craft red list, I found that the viability of the craft is also affected by trends in interior design, and therefor Passementerie is used far less than it was in the 80’s. This ties in with our initial discussions of wanting to make craft considered more contemporary. In order to bring this contemporary element into our project, my group decided to focus on colour and material, using the Craft and design centre (where our work will be exhibited) as inspiration for our colour scheme.

As a group we plan to utilise this colour scheme, and focus our research and development on the Craft Passementerie and will continue to meet weekly in order to make sure our work is cohesive and relevant to one another.