Snow Boots

I recently came across these images by Japanese Artist/ Architect Junya Ishigami. Although I am not usually interested in art installations these really caught my attention. They look like they are part of a Winter Wonderland Fairytale and I particularly love the different textures of textiles used like, the "ice" tables and the rugs of "snow". I also like the quirky knits on the chairs. Instead of the traditional chair covering he has hugged the chairs in a beautiful knit. Each with a different character to keep it warm such as, the litle knitted boots covering a chairs feet.



When describing his work Ishigami is quoted saying;

"chairs embrace or turn away from each other, or form a line and hold hands.
They may even form a circle around the garden... distorted chairs around the
table look like a family talking to each other... normally furniture fits in
daily life and it is designed with a certain functionality - this is not enough
for these chairs and tables."

Overall, I think this arrangement of dining furniture has a complete life and charming character of its own!

WEAVE IS BACK!

I am very happy to be able to inform you that my year group is to be allowed to continue weaving until we graduate.

On the downside we will be the last year lucky enough to be allowed to do so but I am much too pleased to focus on the downsides!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post, got in touch with the local newspapers, joined the facebook page, created the facebook page and also to MP Fraser Macpherson for his help etc. Also to the person who changed their mind!

I think it goes to show that people can actually make a difference if they work together.

Thanks everyone !

Woven Textiles - no longer on the curriculum.

On Tuesday morning we were told by our textile design tutors that woven textiles was being taken off of the course and was no longer an option for us students. This was due to funding being held preventing a new member of staff to be hired. There are 8 students who wanted to specialise in weave. I definately want to pursue weave in 3rd and 4th year as my specialist choice. However, as I have already paid a deposit for a flat, I would not be able to afford to move to another University to do a degree in woven textiles. Also, as we have missed the deadline for applying to different Universities I do not see how that is a feasable option. The short notice given to us is ridiculous.

A placement, in my opinion, would be beneficial, we would be able to go and learn the technical skills required to weave. On the other hand, I am not sure whether the department would allow us to go on a placement, at another institution in Scotland, during term time and allow us to pursue weave when we came back to Dundee. Money would also be an issue for me as I would not be able to pay rent for my flat in Dundee and rent for accomodation whilst on a placement at the same time. It is easy enough for tutors to tell us we can find our own placements over the Summer but in order to come to University I have to work 2 full time, jobs over the Summer so there is just not time.

I am unhappy with the whole situation. I applied from the general foundation art course to textile design under the impression that I could specialise in either, print, knit, weave or mixed media. As I have been learning the skills required to be a weaver throughout 2nd year and had my heart set on becoming a weaver I feel it is a great unjustice for it to be taken away a third of the way through the course. Especially as we were never told there was a possibility it might be taken away. Whilst I understand that the emphasis within the course is on design skills and the work we do can be transeferred into all of the different areas of specialism, it is weave that I expected and wanted to learn and to hopefully pursue as a career once I earnt my degree. Even if we were given help with funding and support from the textile department to go on a placement it would obviously be of greater value if we were simply to be taught by a tutor with weave skills within Duncan of Jordanstone as was done in previous years. I can not imagine a tutor being taken out of the Graphic Design department and the students studying there being told they can no longer use computers.

If you have any advice on who we can contact for support I'd really appreciate your comments!

Good Design.

I just heard about a new technology that has been developed at Ninewells Hospital, here in Dundee. It is a new treatment for skin cancer called, the sticking plaster approach and is an alternative to the intensive light treatment that patients have previously had. It is said to reduce scarring and patients also claim it is less painful than the previous method.

I believe that this is great design. It allows patients to leave the hospital environment whilst being treated, this means they can stay at home or go for a walk whilst the treatment is taking place. Personally, I believe this must make a substantial difference because it can be hard to relax in a hospital whereas I believe going for a walk along the beach with a loved one must make the treatment of cancer much more bearable.

Since I don't know much about this new technology I've put this link in so you can find out more for yourselves. I've also put the youtube link in because my computers playing up tonight and wont upload the video directly to my blog.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8563098.stm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srw5on77xLQ

New Romantics

Nicola Malkin is a ceramist and often creates oversized jewellery for walls. All of her work that I have seen to date exudes femininity and luxury. (Something that I believe most girls are craving during these economic times). Recently, she designed a hairband adorned with beautiful porcelein blooms for Daisy Lowe's 21st birthday. Dasiy was also wearing a dress decorated with what looked like bouquets of flowers. It was hugely feminine and very in keeping with the current New Romantics trend. I really like the idea of 3D, in your face, textiles and it has given me inspiration to do some interesting applique'd florals for our next project!

http://nicolamalkin.blogspot.com/

Prosumerism within Textile Design.

Reading chapter 4 of "The Culture of Design" by Guy Julier was a bit of a nightmare for me. Usually reading is not a chore but due to the insanely complex language and jargon used I struggled to understand a great deal of what I was reading.

However, I did sit up and take notice when I was reading about the "prosumer." I researched into this as I was intrigued by the concept and wanted to find out more. I came across the book "The 3rd Wave" written by Alvin Toffler. It discusses the idea of the prosumer as a crossover between the producer and the consumer. This crossover comes as designers are creating products that consumers can tailor personally to suit their own needs. This change has occurred, I believe, as society want things now. Whilst Toffler wrote this book in 1980 and is mainly looking at technological things such as self service atm machines and satellite systems I think that it is very relevent to todays society. People are now using self-service checkouts and phones can be personalised with "app's". People want things that they can manipulate to fully satisfy their own needs and customise to their own tastes and I believe that this is being reflected hugely within the design world.

Within the world of Textile Design I believe that the work of Fernando Brizio shows prosumerism perfectly. He created a dress with lots of pockets made to hold felt tip pens. The concept is that the ink will bleed into the material creating an individual design, that the wearer can control, each time. The dress can then be washed and the process can start again. This also makes it a very good piece of renewable clothing as it can keep up with the fast changing society we live in.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=asggkr0MIeY

I also feel that the work of Joanne Hodge is relevent to this idea as she takes the prosumer idea one step further establishing a relationship between the garment and the wearer. The collection of printed garments she created change due to touch and uv lights. Her website is definaltely worth a look.

http://www.joprints.co.uk/

West End Meeting.

Now that the crazy week of pulling, tweaking and tidying my work for assignment is over I finally have time to tell you about the West End Local Community Planning Partnership meeting I went to last Wednesday night. Even though I have carelessly lost the notes I had taken!


I was invited to go to this meeting by Councillor Fraser MacPherson after I emailed him some questions on the current "RESM" and "HARM" graffiti that is covering Dundee. I arrived an HOUR early because of my bus so took the time to relax - as I was very nervous - and to get a little bit more sketchbook work done.


When the meeting began there were 8 people in attendance, myself included. 3 local residents, 2 councillors, a councillor candidate and a member of the City Council Leisure and Community group. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss in further detail the Anti - Graffiti Initiative. The idea behind this is to have a community clean-up day. Where residents of all ages could join in clearing away graffiti. However, it was pointed out by a man at the meeting that cleaning the graffiti off of his fence led to more, abusive, graffiti being sprayed onto it. We recognised that it was very likely that any graffiti that was covered would just be sprayed over again but on the other hand, it would be joining the community together, showing a resistance and a united stance against graffiti so I still believe it would be worthwhile. I also believe that involving High School 1st years would be beneficial.

It was agreed that one of the residents in the meeting, who works within the construction industry, would use his work ties to get the materials needed to hold the clean-up donated as they are expensive and there is no funding for this. There was also the issue of health and safety to discuss as the solvents used to remove most graffiti could not be used by members of the community. This meant that the materials that could be used could only be things to cover graffiti. Meaning areas which were easy to colour match would have to be used.

Another point raised was that the child found guilty of the graffiti's parents did not care as they said it was art. Members of the group seemed unsure but I think they felt it was a youth culture "thing." So I pointed out to them that there are 4 recognisable types of graffiti; art, political, protest and tagging. The discussed graffiti was definately tagging as it was merely a way for the graffitist to leave his mark. I also pointed out that very few youths consider it to be art.

The idea of a graffiti wall to help prevent the graffiti was mentioned. Again, rather nervously, I told the people at the meeting that through my research (interviewing people and reading online journals) I found that graffiti walls do not make the slightest difference. The people who graffiti on the streets would not use these walls as they would not get the buzz that they get by doing something illegal and it would not be seen as cool. If anything it only adds fuel to the fire as it allows graffiti to be legal and turns it into art.

Due to all of the planning, legalities and formalities required it was decided that the clean-up would not happen until roughly February 2010. Although this is leaving a lot of time for the graffiti to have an effect on the communities and to influence other youngsters I understand that this is neccessary. There will be another meeting nearer this time that I will definately be attending and will keep you informed about any other developments via this blog.