Sophie Fenton's Textile Designs

Sophie Fenton

Specialism Print

Statement Of Practice

Floral Perspective

A Body of work that has developed over the whole academic year, developing and changing as it has proceeded, but still with a very clear outline and context. Originating from the set Summer Project on British principles or distinctions, British Gardens was one option that clearly stood out. The designs clearly went in the direction of a floral nature and have held on to the organic connection of flowers the whole way through.

Within the initial sketchbook, paintings and drawings started to develop. Originally working with abstraction of flowers using painterly effects and producing repeats of abstract shapes to create the mirage of flowers but without any obvious representation. The designs possibilities were clearly there and it gave an element of choice of construction towards a culmination of potential options.

As the sketchbooks started to develop, Fine Art started to become a strong point, the abstraction would be channelled in to a different area and the images of flowers became detailed and structured. Developing the designs to not be the obvious and traditional forms of floral repeats was a main aim, keeping the designs fresh and with a one off kind of feel. All to have the option of turning in to a classic repeat, but that only being for a commercial option. Placement prints were to be more likely, giving that unique floral effect, an essence rather than a constancy of flowers duplicated. The ideas behind the paintings were to then be taken on to fabric.

A colour palette had to be determined, which would be the main collection of colours, open to adding new colours but nothing that would detract from the originality and also distract from the designs working together as a series. The main colours to be used were Yellow, Magenta, red, blue. All coming together to produce a light and summery tone, like the effect of a full bloom of flowers on a summer’s day. Then adding Gold and Bronze would give a little extra to what could be seen as just natural colours. The metallic aspect adds a certain element of extra beauty and shine to the fabric, maybe beyond what the background colours can do on their own and also really defining key points within the design that will stand out and stand forward. Layering colour physically on top of colour was the way the original paintings were produced. The colours connecting on fabric would cause different results, as it wasn’t just a case of waiting for the dye to dry. If u put one colour on top of the other it would mix the same way that wet paint would. This would be acceptable as to adding naturally to the sequence of colours but if it would mix to a colour not wanted, this had to be thought through. So the ideal situation would be the fix the colour and then go over the top with another. Both situations would also create a depth to the design as well as natural discolouration. This was a strong point to work with and partly added to the layering of the designs.

Digital printing would be a strong part of the prints on to fabric and also a way to experiment with different types of materials. The choice of using digital prints was a way to develop the grounds produced in the sketchbooks but was always going to be a vital part of the way to take art on paper in to design on to fabric. Scanning images in and using CAD to produce and develop new concepts in the prints, also a way of combining parts of several the paintings to develop in to one and then the option would be to take the digital designs on further. The choice of using several different types of fabric was to experiment as much as possible with the hand printing techniques and to learn what fibres will accept what type of dye or process. Creating a strong affect within prints was a focal point and the backgrounds were to develop as much as the foregrounds.

The Fabric choices would affect the overall results. Using thicker fabrics would affect the colour and the drape and how the design would look, but thinner fabrics would look delicate and probably wouldn’t need much work on them. The digital prints were the way to produce the ground and screen-printing was a way to build up the layers of organic looking dots and dashes. It would be as if they were growing on to the fabric. But not as within the paintings, using a screen was quite statutory. So mono printing on to screens and also on to the fabric was a way to depict the same process. But some structure would have to fall in to the prints, especially when developing screens. There are limitations as to size and directions of which you can use the screen. So the screen designs had to be adaptable to different sizes of digital prints as much as the other way round. Knowledge of processes best for the prints was something to be tested and exploited within producing the designs. So testing and succeeding or failing was to in turn developing the prints further. Happy accidents could also lead to success, but reproducing them was always going to be difficult.

Using the material Hazelwood, which has polyester in it, limited the choices of processes but it also meant that using disperse dyes and transfer printing would have a great affect, then also using Devore to burn out patterns and flowers would leave the print with discovering more layers. Silk Habotai and Silk Cotton could be seen as a choice for delicacy, which in turn does not need many processes to expand on the affect. Thicker Silk Cotton can be used affectively to devore, which produces an attractive form of treading, but thought has to be introduced to as to which way the cotton and silk are threaded (the warp and the weft) as any vertical lines will tear and produce an unattractive effect. Silk Viscose Velvet, lends to the production of vibrant colour on the front, iridescent to the way the fabric is looked at and it can also layer on the front and back, which can produce a double-sided fabric but also develop transparency, texture and colour combinations that truly electrify off each other. Pigment printing of all the hand techniques is possibly frowned upon as a trivial and cumbersome, maybe a little dated. But in the affects of layering pigment can produced a definite affect. Choosing to use techniques that involve a layer very much on top of the fabric, like flock and foil, makes an added texture, layer and affect within colour of the whole print.

Printing on a bespoke basis does not lend so well to interior manufacturing but does to one off designs within fashion. The hand drawn element of flowers does in fact sway towards the ideals of wallpaper, interior fabrics and even wrapping paper and card designs. A fine line has to be balanced within designing for commercial repeats, especially within costing. A digital design with many colours would not be preferred for interiors; it is costly as well as a unique taste. Whereas for Fashion, especially high-end designs. It could be more acceptable to have unique and over the top designs and colours. So the difference in material and price could be maintained to a healthier profit. Designing, as a student and a career are two very different things but at this point, it is clear how to develop ideas commercially as well as putting a cutting edge design in to practice. The two could easily be developed hand in hand

Research Sources for Studio Practice

Alfrey, Nicholas & Livingstone, Marco (2002) Maurice Cockrill: Published by Merrell Publishers Ltd.

Berger, John (1972) Ways of Seeing: Published by British Broadcasting Association and Penguin Books.

Blackley, Lachlan (2006) Wallpaper: Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Cole, Drusilla (2009) The Pattern Source Book, a century of surface design: Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Cole, Drusilla (2007) Patterns: Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Fearnly-Whittingstall, Jayne (2000) Peonies, The Imperial Flower: Seven Dials, Cassel & Co.

Frazier, Nancy (2005) Georgia O’Keeffe: Published by World Publications Group, Inc.

Gibson, Robin (1976) Flower Painting: Published by Phaidon Press Ltd.

Goldsworthy, Andy (1990) Andy Goldsworthy, A Collaboration with Nature: Published by Cameron Books.

Hallet, Clive and Johnston, Amanda (2010) Fabric For Fashion, The Swatch Book: Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Hallet, Clive and Johnston, Amanda (2010) Fabric For Fashion, A comprehensive guide to natural fibres: Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Hanaor, Cigalle (2006) The Cutting Edge Of Wallpaper: Published by Black Dog Publishing.

House, John (1986) Monet, Nature in to Art: Published by Guild Publishing, London.

Isset, Ruth (2004) Colour on Cloth: Published by Batford, an imprint of Anova Books Company Ltd.

Isset, Ruth (2007) Print Pattern and Colour: Published by, Batsford, an imprint of Anova Books Company Ltd

Martin San, Macarena (2009) Patterns in Fashion: Published by Evergreen GmbH, Koln.

Nesbitt, Judith (2010) Chris Ofili: Published by Tate Publishing, a division of Tate Enterprises Ltd.

Nicol, Karen (2012) Embelished, new vintage: Published by A&C Black Publishers.

Osers, Edwald (1988) Gustav Klimt, Landscapes: Published by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (1995) Contemporary British Art in Print: Published by The paragon Press.

The Reader’s Digest (2007) Reader’s Digest New Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and Flowers: Published by The Reader’s Digest Association Ltd.

Thorne, Dawn (2009) Transparency in Textiles: Published by Batsford, an imprint of Anova Books Company Ltd.

Quinn, Bradley (2009) Textile Designers, at the cutting edge: Published by Published by Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

Wells, Kate (1997) Fabric Dyeing and Printing: Published by Conran Octopus Ltd.

Exhibitions

Fashion and Textile Museum

Hartnell to Amies: Couture by Royal appointment.

Tate Modern- Permanent Exhibitions

The Design Museum

Unexpected Pleasures: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery

The Royal Academy of Arts

Manet: Portraying Life

Victoria and Albert Museum

Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950

Somerset House

Valentino: Masters of Couture

Paris Exhibitions and visits

The Pompidou Centre: Permanent Exhibitions

The Louvre: Decorative Arts section

Premiere Vision (Selling Exhibition) Upcoming and established Textile Design Companies, Colour Forecasts, Weave, Knits, Indigo Prints, Digital and Hand techniques.

Magazines

Elle Decoration

Elle Magazine

Vogue Magazine

Draper’s Fashion Magazine

Selvedge Edge

The World of Interiors

Websites

Brewers (2013) Wallpaper Direct [Online] http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/?gclid=CKfWsMaCnbcCFdDJtAod2DQABQ

Accessed January-May 2013

Condé Nast (2012) Style.com [Online] http://www.style.com Accessed January – May 2013

Condé Nast Digital Ltd (2013) British Vogue [Online] http://www.vogue.co.uk Accessed January-May 2013

Designers Guild Ltd (2013) Designers Guild [Online] http://www.designersguild.com/fabric-and-wallpaper-showroom/wallpaper-and-wall-coverings/

Accessed January – May 2013

V&A (2013) Victoria and Albert Museum Archives [Online] http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-v-and-a-archive/

Accessed January-May 2013

WGSN (2013) WGSN [Online] http://www.wgsn.com.ezproxy.derby.ac.uk/content/section/home.html Accessed January-May 2013

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN (2013) Claude Monet [Online] http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/claude-oscar-monet Accessed January-May 2013