Textile Project Ideas

For this next year my practice will revolve more around the idea of textiles and exploring the boundaries of this medium. I will also still be incorporating the feminist ideas that I have been exploring in past units, and furthering my interest into the idea of female identity and what it means to be a woman in today's society.

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IDEA 1:

My first idea involves the use of quilting. In the previous unit I got really interested in stitching and embroidery, and I wanted to be explore this medium further. I started to quilt in the beginning of second year, but I wasn't happy with how it was turning out, and I eventually got inspired to do other things. This time, after looking at artists such as Tracey Emin and Miriam Schapiro, and looking into the idea of domestic art, I decided to look back into the idea of quilting.

One of the ideas I had was to try and create a collaborative piece involving friends and family members I know and asking them to create a piece which represents how they identify as themselves or as a woman. I would then collate them together and create a quilt of identity that shows how there is no one way of being a woman, and that every woman is unique in their own way and doesn't follow society's expectations and/or ideals of what a woman should be.

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IDEA 2:

My second idea involves the idea of experimenting with thread painting, and exploring the boundaries of embroidery, ultimately culminating into a large scale piece that is based on the research into feminist ideas and domestic art/craft. I wanted to create a piece that explores the differences between craft and fine art, as well as touching on domestic themes.

A starting angle with this idea would be to look into the imagery used in association with the idea of what it means to be a woman. For example, taking the imagery of boobs and reclaiming that as a our own identity of being. Showing how we cannot be confined to these sexual ideals and that our bodies have more than one purpose. Not just for pleasure.

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IDEA 3:

My third idea involves exploring the idea of soft sculpture. I have started to experiment and play around with material and thread, so I feel that this would be a natural progression towards bigger and stronger work. I have many ideas which include creating site specific work, creating objects out of domestic materials, and so on. I feel that this would also allow me to move out of my current comfort zone and move into something completely different.

A starting angle for this would be to create cushioned objects with embroidered slogans, and place them in specific areas which highlight the slogan and photograph them. This is a basic idea that I hope as I start to work on it, evolves into something bigger and much more interesting and creative.