Digital Print Process

Textile based equipment

To apply art to useful wares is not frivolity, but a part of the serious business of life . W. Morris

This was one of Morris' key quotes and motives for working. I believe too that there is a general disregard for the arts in todays society. A degree in the arts is seen as a frivolity and an unnecessary expense by many and even the government as we see the arts hit by cuts. It is though however, something that most people including politicians and mathematicians appreciate without taking a second thought. I'm sure in their homes they enjoyed patterned china, patterned bedding and quite probably patterned furnishings. I therefore see this as one of the most important ethos to use for my project and career.

One off artist screen prints on sale in the shop

Museum shop
Turning the ordinary into the ornate.
William Morris set himself the task of making everyday
objects into decorative and desirable objects.
An ideal that most designers work to today.

These are some of the products that
are by more modern artists and designers
working to the same objectives.
These items sell at a premium price as they are
one off that cannot be reproduced by major companies.

William Morris Museum

Intricately printed designs that have stood the test of time. 

Similarly to my last project I hope to make a sample book
to consolidate my designs into a portable collection.
I specifically designed my sample book so I have the option to continue
adding to it.

Sample books are an age old way of displaying an artists design

An Original William Morris sample book

An original application of a Morris print

'He uses digital technology as a tool not a crutch'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03sltyb/Sound_City/

Sound city Dave Grohl 01/02/14

'He uses digital technology as a tool not a crutch' - Dave Grohl describing Trent Rezenor . This statement condenses part of what I want to describe in my project. Tools are there to be used. But they are only there to be used to their full extent when someone knows how to use them effectively.

These are some other quotes from the program that provide important considerations.

"In this age of technology and simulation how do we retain the human element"

"Software gives us the option to go back to things and perfect it"
- "There is no pressure to make a creative decision"

Times before digital,
"Something you could do and no one else could do it"

My work tries to combine traditional drawing with current technologies to produce contemporary patterns from antiquated objects.

The importance of tools, new and old

These are some of the museums tool collection. Despite the ancient design
many of these tools have remained the same due to their
practicality and the way they have been engineered.

The skill that has gone into creating the gardening equipment has
been perfected over hundreds of years. These early designs are made
from copper and ceramics. Though many designs are still
made from metal such as galvanised steel it would be very unusual to
come across a ceramic watering can due to its vulnerabilty in the cold climate
and its consuming manufacture time. Many now are cast from plastics.

Hand crafted and painted 1800's wheel barrow.

Lawn mowers for children and adults.
This beautifully manufactured lawn mower was available
in two sizes although now many would see a lawn mower,
containing sharp components to be an inappropriate 'toy'.
Despite this it did allow children to be involved in garden maintenance.

Vintage yates seed display unit.

Seed counter from late 1800's  -  early 1900's

Garden Museum

This small museum is set right in the centre of London, although
it doesn't have the grandeur of Kew Gardens it is the resting place
of two historically recognised plant hunters, collectors and gardeners.
This provided the inspiration for the garden.

The actual garden combines two very different styles of gardening.
The ornate where we can see the small box hedge and the topiary design.
This is a very controlled way of gardening where evergreen planting is used and
stylised using a range of clipping tools.

The other is the growth of herbaceous and perennial.
This is my personal preference in gardening and relies more on the seasons
and the natural diversity and colouring of planting. 

Gardening, a social context

A garden end, Suffolk by Peter Henry Emmerson 1888

These are some postcards I picked up at the Garden museum.
Here we can see that men and women worked to bring food to the
table coming up with innovative ways to help produce veg
working with British soil and weather.

Skelton Tested Tools, Sheffield 1950

Gardening for all cover, 1930

This 1930's image shows gardening bringing
together practicality and leisure, bridging an
age gap as it's an activity people of all ages can enjoy
and benefit from.

Hortico gardening catalogue,  1967
Tulip picking

Making my Sample Book

After cutting out and painting the pieces of wood I began to sew and
hem a cover made from screen printed calico.
I very carefully put eyelets in in order to prevent the holes from fraying as they
slid onto the bolts.
I covered the piece of wood in fabric that acts as a clamp to hold down the
designs without needed to make holes in every piece.  

Of course this work was overseen by Dad and Dog.

Drawings With text

In The Print Room - Textile Screen Printing