Reflection on Unit X

Reflection on Unit X

This brief has been interesting because I got to learn about the history of ceramics/ pottery which I wrote about in the first blog post. It has been challenging as well as fascinating to combine the style if ceramics into textiles, mainly by taking inspiration from the Japanese style Kintsugi, where pottery is mended in a way which makes it even more beautiful.

In my second blog post, I talked about mirror work, but I didn’t follow this idea further because I thought the background I was going to use was better by itself. I also didn’t use this Idea because I was quite close to the deadline and wouldn’t have had time but I’ve learnt that I should allocate plenty of time to do embroidery such as this.  However, I’ve looked at the way to do the mirror work (shisha embroidery) on Youtube and various websites as well as a book, so I’ll know it for the future.  Instead I arranged CD shards on a dark blue background which I then scanned and recoloured digitally before printing it onto fabric using sublimation printing.

I also tried pressing golden heat transfer foil onto fabric and then doing bead work in a cracked effect, which has been my theme for this unit, taking the pattern from broken crockery. Another sample, with chain stitch and French knots, was my favourite because I could see that style in a jacket or a winter skirt which was exciting, and I like the fact it has texture and pattern together.

 

As well as the emulsion paint technique discussed in the second blog post, I tried using flour paste as a resist.  I left it to dry overnight before applying acrylic paint which I rinsed off after about a minute, giving a beautiful cracked effect.

Again, as I’ve reflected on group work in the previous blogs, I am still in two minds.  In one way I like working by myself as I can make my own mind about what I want to do such as choosing a theme and the colour palette whereas working in a group has positive and negative aspects. On the positive side, everyone contributes to development of ideas and if I felt lost I could get help from my team members.

In my group there are two students from embroidery and mixed media, two printers, one knit and one weave, so it has been very interesting to work with each other as we all produce different outcomes.  After the Origins Unit, I chose embroidery because I had done it before and I thought I wanted to follow a more familiar path.  Weave was my second choice, but I really wish I had chosen it first.  I feel drawn to it very much because I like the outcome.  For next year, if it is possible, I would love to continue with weave.  

At the end, as a group, we all brought in our work to see what went well on a display board for the exhibition at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre.  As well as picking out our favourites, we had to keep in mind that they needed to flow with the work of other team members.  I think our work comes together very well, especially because we have used the same theme and the same colour palette.  I was really worried how it was all going to come out, because we could have each gone our separate ways, but we have managed to stay together.  I am very pleased with the outcome of all our work put together. 

The title of the exhibition was ‘Endangered Craft’ and it included the work of second year as well as first year students.  It was very interesting to see the work of groups of students from other courses, such as film, 3D design and interactive arts, all responding to an endangered craft. 

Manchester Metropolitan University (2018) Manchester School of Art, Unit X Festival [online] http://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/unitx/festival2018/ [Accessed 10/05/2018]