one incarnation of collar?

This is what it looks like right now. I want to test a few more industrial materials. The fish line as the structural support (the warp) could be interesting as it is transparent and non organic. I’m hoping to find something that is of the machine but not wire or steel wool, but can be woven. Another interesting bit is that the steel wool piece will rust a lot more if put in water. Could be neat to play with that. It will disintegrate into rust dust in the end, but that could be fun too.

When I find the right materials I’m thinking of shaping the weaving into elaborate collar shape such as seen on Elizabethan costumes. Below is a rough sketch of the collar and how it would look on the warp. I’m excited about making it. For now.

Inspirations

I am inspired by highly decorative, intricate collars of the Elizabethan costume that communicated social status its wearer. Historically only the highest echelons of society were allowed to wear and able to afford these collars. They were luxury signifiers of wealth and social status, similarly to today’s latest technologically enhanced textiles and bodies.

I was also inspired by Vivienne Westwood’s strategy of referencing historical costume to comment on current issues. One example of this is her Mini-Crini collection where she takes the Victorian bell shaped skirt and shortens it into a mini. I wanted to play with this idea of reusing an established form such as skirt shape or a collar and shifting it to a new ground.

I also found Bart Hess’ and Lucy McRae’s creations interesting and inspiring. I was drawn to the Hunt for Hightech fake fur collection with its mutant, grotesque, hairy, scaly, foreign yet familiar aesthetic.

The Project, finally

I’m making a a woven collar using industrial or machine related materials. The collar is to have an appealing visual aesthetic that is to contrast its unappealing tactile properties. In doing so I hope to bring in an element of surprise for the viewer.

The form of a collar is significant because of its functional reference to the neck, a vulnerable and sensitive part of the body that we comfort and protect. My metal collar will not fulfill either of those functions. If worn it is irritating, itchy and discomforting.

In making it so, I wish to communicate my concern with our technological age and its rapid conquest of the body. Our perception of technology and its benefits is highly susceptible to manipulation. We are desiring (needing) more technology, while our attention to our own intricate inner processes as well as our connection to the natural world decreases.

For materials I have successfully used linen and steel wool, but wish to try a few more alternatives. I was considering using coarser steel wool or copper wire with a different material in the warp. Instead of linen I will try wire, plastic or fishing line.

Photo and thermo sensitive ink printed T?

It has been on my mind.  How to go beyond the obvious? Do I need to or can I just have fun? Ink that becomes invisible at certain temperatures or changes in light. To reveal what exactly? Something printed underneath, like a different pattern or image. So that would be like 2 t’s in one depending on conditions.  A gimmick. NO? yes, no yes and no. Maybe.

For all the right reasons.

I have to admit, I’m ambiguous about technology. I’m attracted to novelty and yet, I find it gimmicky a lot of the times.  I looked at the hug shirt, and the signaling bike jacket and scent dispensing dress and felt a sort of a tickle, like when someone is spinning a story and I’m not quite buying it. I get the avalanche jacket,  and maybe the soft keyboard, but no edible, implantable permanent techno/body interface. It freaks me out! Where do we stop? Anyone?

Book, the final product

I am very happy to have it finished. I wanted to showcase my artwork, so I kept the design of the book pages simple. I payed most attention to the layout of the pieces on the page, and the positioning of the text. As it is an informal venue for my pieces I did not include the size of the artwork. I wanted the viewer to get an overall sense of my aesthetic, and my interests. Enjoy.

Sibila’s Book of Textiles

The time warp of the doc

In there for hours, and still not much has happened. Get so impatient, why can’t I figure it out by myself. A few things turned out not to be as they seemed. Getting attention is also an art in itself. But, this afternoon if the stars are aligned properly, I will have a book. YES!

The belated Poster in Location

I have been meaning to do this for weeks, but wasn’t out much. I thought a good site for the poster would be any site of mindless, and/or mindful e consumption.

The Book

Don’t know about the rest of you folks, but my book has taken over. I figured if I stick to my initial idea, as opposed to changing my mind 5 times, and keep it simple, I will be ahead now. But, no. Wrong.

There I was the other day, spending hours shooting weaving, because I wanted to have it in the book, but had no good images. And there was all this other stuff, also, things just needed to be documented. In the end though, I have no regrets.

I worked out my entire layout on paper-nothing fancy, fast, fairly simple. Then I was in the lab for hours, seeing double by the end of the layout part, let alone the inserting of the pictures. Then there was that part where I thought I saved everything properly, yet didn’t, and had to do it again the next day.

Loved seeing it all come together.  Kind of like weaving. Take all these elements, and a lot of technical mumbo jumbo and voila! something beautiful. Most of the time.

My big thing was that I wanted to make a book of things that I have made, that I actually like, and pair those with some writing that was informative, but not dry. Coming up with what that writing was another story. I wrote a whole letter to myself, and a personal history, and, had some emotional moments, trying to nail it down.

Today I went to the lab to finish things up-ha! was I dreaming? There was a big class in there, and all the other rooms not available.  Lucky thing I ran into Genvieve, who had a lucky key, just so happened… Thanks so much!

Did I mention that I am working extra this week.

I’m not too crazy about the encouraged size for this publication. I kinda wanted it to be less than 11″, almost square, maybe.  Maybe next time, as I couldn’t justify another detour.

I’m going in again tomorrow, to wrap things up. Trying to remember if I remember how to create a pdf. I could swear I wrote it down when Suzi was showing, or did I. Seemed so easy?

Poster!

Decided to stick with e waste since it is a growing concern that a lot people in our demographic brush off. By our demographic I mean young people interested in technology. Some of us just want to have the newest sleekest electronics, and the old stuff, who cares. Others resist for as long as they can, but find that they need to keep up with the progress. I only became aware of the issue recently as I was trying to figure out how to recycle an old monitor. There is a lot of info out there, for those that care to look.

For the poster I wanted to hint at the toxicity of old electronics without being overtly preachy. I hoped that people who haven’t considered this do, and maybe some read a few of the articles and amend their habits.

I played with colour and shapes a lot, and used a diagonal composition to move the eye around the poster plane. I kept it simple.

e waste awareness poster

The logo was a push for me. I wanted to reference recycling somehow, but without those arrows. I also wanted it to be personal. I wanted to communicate the essence of my concern-that we need to take care of our environment. So I too decided to use hands in it.

I am looking forward to comments.

I saved my poster with logo final on the school server only and do not have access to it. If anyone knows how to get into it from a home computer please share, as I would love to print out the poster over the weekend…