Kirsten Harper

 

Exploring the decay, preservation and curation of objects, I found inspiration in the aging of old buildings like Rosslyn Chapel and Glasgow Cathedral, the methods of protecting and displaying artefacts in GSA’s Archives and through my own collection of oddities. My practice is motivated by texture, experimenting in transforming a textile’s qualities with the introduction of substances like wax or the removal of threads, as well as incorporating found materials such as vintage fur and animal bones. Each piece in the collection uses exclusively hand-stitch methods, and almost all my materials (including yarn and thread) were sourced second-hand – giving them a new purpose and allowing for tactile closeness to the past and present. Kirsten Harper

Katherine Murphy

The overall theme of my personal project is Nostalgia, stemming from a collection of childhood photos gathered as primary visual research. These photos have been carefully selected through colour palette, composition and the people within them. 

The final pieces are a collection of one-off embroidered ‘keepsakes’ due to the personal nature of the research. Each piece captures memories and provokes nostalgia to the viewer through stitched visual storytelling. I hope that this would lead to commission-based work for those wishing to capture a moment of life through a one-off textile piece. With this in mind, this specific project is a commission to myself and my family. Katherine Murphy

 

 

Alyssa Jos

 

Alyssa Jos is a Parisian artist whose medium is leaves, she soaks them is a plant based solution dries them and then weaves and sews them into textiles, for interiors and clothing items.

Mandy Barker

 

Mandy Baker has been scientifically collecting and photographing evidence of plastic (here I don't want to say 'pollution', it is to meek and familiar a word, and plastic presence has gone beyond pollution it is now in our very cells and brains)  'contamination' of our waters. I originally came across Mandy's work when I was working as a Museum technician in Fife and hanging the touring exhibition of Mandy's 'Our Plastic Oceans' At Dunfermline Museum and Gallery, I was impressed by Mandy's thorough and scientific approach to her work. 

Inspired by Anna Atkins 'Cyanotypes of British Algae' published in 1843 artist Mandy Baker had an idea. The eroded plastic based textiles she was finding washed up resembled seaweeds and so she set about to mirror Anna Atkins beautiful works recording seaweeds and mirror it in a Frankenstein way with the modern findings of de-structured plastic textiles to highlight the new chocking horrors of fast-fashion.

Above: Annna Aitkin's cyanotypes of British Algae.

Below: Mandy Bakers gathered textiles.

Above and below: Images from Mandy Barker's 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections’.

Mandy's book is published by Ghost Books and you can buy it here

Florence Sargent

 

Tactile, textile, sensory, play objects  by Florence Sargent made from recycled board,  felt, calico, waste upholstery foam and pigment ink. The outer layer uses the play materials felt coloured with an acrylic paint based mix, developed to be suitable for submerging and dyeing.

Florence uses colour to lead design which often results in a kaleidoscope of geometry with seamless line fluidity and a curiosity towards optical play. Her journey through the RCA has been anchored by the desire to encourage a playful engagement with surfaces through use of colour theory and soft materials.

Xiaoyu Zhu

 

I can feel the vibration of nature in heaven and earth.

I yearn for the state in Chinese Taoist thoughts,

feeling nature within and self without, to a subtle bliss.

Can humans resonate with the nature and universe?

I want to create such a breath.

Let my textiles be birds, waves, forests,

Chirruping, flying, floating, drifting,

As you breathe. Xiaoyu Zhu

Xiaoyu Zhu graduated this year from the RCA in textiles. 

Lorna Pollock

Lorna Pollock has just graduated in textiles at GSA, she has a love of bright abstracts and collage and this is expressed clearly in her designs.

Eilidh Currie

Tatters and tares, frills and layers Eilidh Curries textile designs for her BA Textiles Graduate Collection at ECA are an excitement of texture and colour.