Cultural Appropriation Brief Exploring Native Americans And Indian Artefacts To Inspire Decorative Cloth

Collecting and combining found materials.

Order imposed.

Colour explored.

Enjoying the dialogue between the different objects. Man made and natural, circular forms, threaded, unravelled, holes repurposed, joining, combining. 

A playful conversation..... 

A level costume design exploring the theme of ‘Birds’ exploring the darker side of these winged creatures, inspired by Alexander McQueen’s exhibition ‘Savage Beauty’ at the V&A. An innovative use of materials such as bin liners and interfacing to create an ethereal, feathered quality in a series of cropped capes.

Great photo shoot with technical support from Dave Merritt.

Textiles students in full flow creating free-machine stitched creatures in dissolvable fabric for wearable art neckpieces based around sea-life and observations at the aquarium. 

Dramatic giant knitting by FAD student now studying Fashion at Westminster university. Charlotte Langdon. Hand knitted merino tops realised as  a full length coat. On to right the use of wire tubing stitched to bodysuit as anew garment. Beautifully styled photo shoot, simplicity and drama and a ‘less is more’ attitude is the key to success here.

FAD Textiles Workshop rotation 2. Getting into those shadow drawings agin with a new group. Striking silhouettes prepped and ready to take forward into print next week. 

END OF YEAR SHOWCASE -Class of 2020

Congratulations Scarlet Crofts!

Scarlet developed her final Textiles collection as sustainable festival fashion. Recycling, repurposing and ultimately developing her own series of digital prints from her meticulously cut and stitched scalloped dress. Such a pity Glastonbury was cancelled this year, I’m sure Scarlet would have been rocking this outfit and turning heads at Pilton. 

The final image is from a ‘Live’ project with the British Red Cross Society, the class created various paper couture garments depicting iconic fashions throughout the 20th century, they were exhibited as window displays around Somerset shops. This one was exhibited in Crewkerne to great acclaim!

Credit to @catherinehydephotorgaphy for image 1.

Scarlet is seeking a creative employment as a GAP year and plans to apply for UCAS in 2021.

MAKE MORE NOISE

Processions June 2018

We have had the most amazing time working on this beauty!

Dorcas Casey, (who is an ex-Strode, Art team member of staff and also an ex-student) but now creates the most incredible sculpture and works from her studio in Bristol, amongst lots of other exciting ‘side-hustle’ projects such as this one. @beastsoftheuncanny

In collaboration with Somerset Art Works (SAW) partners and funded by the Arts Council, the banner project is a nationally co-ordinated, mass community artwork, initially designed by Artichoke as part of the centenary celebrations, promoting the importance of the female vote in 1918. 100 banners were created up and down the country.

Our banner was lovingly made by students, staff and also members of the community. We took our banner to London as part of the Processions celebrations in June and marched around the city, in the heat with thousands of other women. It was exhilarating and so great to be part of something so important to our heritage as women and also to celebrate what the Suffragettes and other women’s groups fought for so we could begin to build amore equal society.

Our banner received lots of praise, we were singled out across the press and made several headlines in the daily papers and on social media. Radio 6 Music singled us out and Dorcas was interviewed by Lauren Laverne, live on BBC radio, broadcast to millions.

A day to remember for ever and so great to be such a key part of this event. Our banner will also be on tour and exhibited around the UK with the 100 banners, it will be part of a publication and also included in a planned International Textiles Biennale in Lancashire in 2020.

END OF YEAR SHOWCASE -Class of 2020

Congratulations Iona Darneley!

Iona showcases 2 different projects. Firstly her exam unit entitled ’Haven’ was very poignant and relevant, as lockdown plunged the UK into isolation, just as our A level exams were due to begin. Iona investigated themes close to home, including discovering how we explain the need for family, loved ones and friends and our relationships to what we hold dear in times of trauma.  How can this be portrayed in visual terms and through textiles, led Iona on a wonderfully personal creative journey. She was casting miniature sculptural houses and objects of comfort such as hot water bottles in her garden and making delicate fabric house forms to project images of family onto. Adventurous and individual Textiles work.

In contrast, she also explored ocean plastic and this included reworking plastic bottles found during a beach clean up, into sea creatures such as jellyfish to be hung as a ‘sea forest’ installation. She also created posters for Surfers Against Sewage, promoting clean seas. All this with CFS. What a superstar!

Moving forward to cropping and playing around with compositional decision making next. I am drawn to a square format and trying to maintain the expressive, gestural marks when deciding what works as a balanced piece.

 I may add further detail, maybe stitch or I might paint out detail and simplify the image. This is the fun part but something I am challenged by as really my default setting is the playful, experimental stage where I can be free and can work loosely enjoying the edges of one colour next to another and delight in the subtlety of a mark or appreciate the layering of a broad brush stroke next to a lightweight spontaneous drip or dribble. Endless possibilities that I do not want to end.

Out and about gathering visual research for future projects. Grids and nets to start the journey. Once you start looking you can’t stop seeing!