Natural Processes in Textile Art E-Book

Alice Fox

• Herausgeber: Batsford
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 135

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

More and more textile artists are using natural processes in their work, from dyeing with rust to working with found and scavenged items, and this book is the first to bring these increasingly popular techniques together. It promotes a way of working creatively with what is close at hand, whether gathered on walks by the seashore or collected in your garden, and working in tune with natural processes, bringing the rhythms and unpredictability of nature into your work. Examples of this type of working include rust dyeing embroidered fabric to give it a natural patina, dyeing with garden fruits or seaweed, weaving with pieces of beachcombed fibre and printing with found objects. In all of this work nature is directly harnessed to make its mark. The book is illustrated with the finest examples of contemporary embroidery and textile-art work using nature, by artists whose practice is tied up with their experience of and respect for the natural environment, often capturing a very strong sense of place and a feeling of calmness and contemplation.

Leseprobe

The desire to use collected items and natural dyeing techniques in art is part of a growing movement to be more sustainable and more mindful of how we live – how we connect with one another and the places we live in. More and more textile artists are using natural processes in their work, from dyeing with rust to working with found and scavenged items, and this book is the first to bring these increasingly popular techniques together. It promotes a way of working creatively with what is close at hand, whether gathered on walks by the seashore or collected in your garden, and working in tune with natural processes, bringing the rhythms and unpredictability of nature into your work.

Examples of this type of working include using local plants – such as blackberries, dandelions and, in the case of one Australian contributor, eucalyptus leaves – along with found metals to eco-dye fabrics and threads. Use rust to make marks and prints on cloth and paper, which can then be further stitched and layered. Foraged items – such as nettles, driftwood, scrap metal or acorns – can be weaved, stitched into or incorporated into tapestry.

Finally there is advice on combining all the techniques to create stunning textural work that is a comment on, and a product of, its surroundings. The book is illustrated with the finest examples of contemporary embroidery and textile-art work using nature, by artists whose practice is tied up with their experience of and respect for the natural environment. It captures a very strong sense of place and a feeling of calm.

Contents

Introduction

1. Exploring, finding, collecting

2. Natural colour

3. Rust marks

4. Foraged fibres

5. Combining techniques

6. A sense of place

Acknowledgements & glossary

Bibliography

Resources

Index

Introduction

This book gathers together a range of techniques in textile art that make use of natural processes. It promotes a way of working creatively with what is easily available or close at hand, around the home and further afield. The aim is to be imaginative with what can be gathered from your surroundings and make work that is in tune with the natural world. We will explore a variety of ways to make use of found, foraged or scavenged items.

The desire to use collected items and natural dyeing techniques in art is part of a growing movement to be more sustainable. We will discuss ways of working with nature, appreciate ‘slow’ processes and look for ways of capturing the unpredictability of nature.

The book features the work of artists whose practice is tied up with their experience of, and respect for, the natural environment. They often capture a sense of place through their work.

Wild beginnings

I have always had a strong relationship with the natural world. Even as a child, environmental issues were important to me and I felt that everything should be done in a sensitive way with respect for resources and future generations. I was fascinated by natural history and was an avid collector of found things: dead beetles or butterflies, feathers, leaves and birds’ skulls. I still have many of them.

Footprints and the marks made by wildlife were a source of interest and I keenly looked them up in identification books and catalogued what I’d seen. I also loved to draw my finds and I would pore over books of natural-history illustration. My interests in the arts and natural sciences were well balanced but initially I chose to go down the science route, completed a degree in physical geography and had a short career in nature conservation. Both reinforced my understanding of how the world around us works and increased my appreciation of the fragility of ecosystems and landscapes.

Now, as a professional artist, my artistic practice has a strong link to the natural world and strives to take the environment into account. The use of natural processes is a key part of it.

A personal collection of natural found objects, used for study and inspiration.

Influential art

I have long been inspired by the work of artists who have a strong connection to the natural world, in particular Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long, Chris Drury and David Nash. These artists work directly with nature, often making artworks that are ephemeral or subject to change through their exposure to the elements. Some of their works are made through the action of their bodies in the landscape and some are fleeting moments recorded in photographs, the resulting image becoming the work of art. These artists work mostly with natural materials, often gathered from the landscape. This appeals to me both aesthetically and idealistically.

The exploration of different and sometimes unconventional materials fascinates me. It is only through working with a particular material that you come to know it and its potential. I see this as a means of understanding the world around me. Artist Sue Lawty’s contemplative work is very much about engagement with the landscape on different levels, and her exploration of different materials pushes the boundaries of tapestry weaving and textile art. I was fortunate to spend time helping in her studio whilst I was a student, and it was a formative experience.

In my work I employ techniques from a wide range of areas including textiles, fine art printmaking and tapestry weaving. I build up layers of print and stitch, working on the surface of paper or cloth. I use the word ‘print’ to cover a wide range of mark-making techniques. Some of these marks are made by dyeing or staining and are fairly uncontrollable. Some are much more precise. Texture is as important as the marks, and layers of print and stitch change the texture of the surface I am working on. Detail is also important. My work is often referred to as subtle; if you look closely, there is a lot going on. I work fairly interchangeably with cloth and paper, treating the latter as a type of textile and recognizing that each material I work with has its own properties and potential.

Sycamore keys, gathered while walking, can be embroidered with simple hand stitch.

Balancing act

I see everyday life and my artistic practice as a continuum. They are interrelated and sometimes impossible to unpick from one another. In many ways this is born of necessity: a busy family life caring for children and balancing this with work and hobbies makes for small parcels of time available for creative pursuits. Half an hour here or an hour there, snatched between other commitments is sometimes all there is. I have developed ways of making use of these moments. My textiles degree was completed part-time as a mature student with small children.

It is important to make the most of any time available. I will often be thinking through ideas for things I want to experiment with whilst doing household tasks that don’t require much concentration or detailed decision-making, such as doing the washing-up, cooking a meal or hanging out the washing. This means that when I do get to my desk or studio, I usually know exactly what I shall do first or have a list of things I want to try.

Influences can come from all areas of your everyday life. The things that I see on a journey to the post office or on the school run feed into what I do in the studio just as much as the experience of walking on a remote beach hundreds of miles away from home. It is the experience of whatever landscape I am in that counts, being present in the moment and taking notice of the detail of what is around me. There may not always be time to record these small observations straight away. But making a mental note takes no time and these thoughts can be cumulative – the more you notice, the more you have to draw on when there is time to devote to creativity. Keep a small notebook or sketchbook to hand and you can usually scribble down a thought or observation, even if time is tight.

Green and slow

In recent years, ‘green issues’ have become mainstream and people increasingly make an effort to consider the environment in their everyday lives. The desire to use collected items and natural dyeing techniques in art is part of a growing movement to be more sustainable. Ideas are borrowed from the ‘make do and mend’ culture but new twists are given to old techniques. Many artists incorporate collected items, either natural or man-made, as a means of commenting on our interaction with, and impact on, the natural world. Some artists have chosen to use rubbish as a record of, or interpretation of, human impact. At a time of environmental change and uncertainty, artists can offer insight and new perspectives on the world around us, as well as a celebration of it.

There is an increasing awareness of the value of ‘slow’ processes, which foster an appreciation of responsible sourcing and mindfulness. The Slow Movement started in connection with food but has grown to embrace different aspects of how we live and connect with one another and with the places we live in.

Tide Marks Book #49 (2013), 210 x 16cm (82½ x 6¼in). This artist’s book is made from paper, rust print, collagraph print (using found objects) and hand stitch.

Techniques

In harmony with the principles described on pages 10 and 11, this book provides ideas and examples of how natural processes can be used to achieve beautiful results in textile art. There is definitely an emphasis on the experimental. The beauty of many of the techniques we will be looking at is that they are unpredictable. I love that serendipitous aspect to the processes I use. There is a kind of magic to it all: something new to discover all the time. I want to celebrate that unpredictability, just as my work celebrates the uniqueness of each experience of the natural world.

Many of the techniques we will look at use found items. For me, these are a tangible link to the places I’ve been. However insignificant an item may seem to others, its inherent value to me is derived from the fact that I have come across it whilst walking, decided to pick it up and have used it as a way of recording the experience of that place. Often these will be natural items, things collected responsibly on walks (or items readily available around the home and garden). There is also a place for found man-made objects, particularly rusty metal. Using rust in conjunction with natural dyeing techniques has become a key element in my own work, initially through its availability on the particular beaches that have formed my focus in recent years. By exploring the possibilities of rust for printing, dyeing and mark-making, I have developed techniques that I can combine with other, more conventional ones, to give the visual and tactile effects I am after.

The potential for metal to provide and affect colour has relevance in natural dyeing. Metals often perform the role of a mordant, helping the plant-based colour to attach to the fibres being dyed. Natural dyeing is a specialist area of its own and we will only touch on certain dyeing techniques in this book. This will include methods for making marks on both paper and cloth.

I hope that by bringing techniques together that make use of what is readily available in your own environment (at home or in the places you visit) you will be inspired to use natural processes in your creative projects. Often the key to these techniques is time: taking time to see what is around you, to appreciate what is there and then allowing beautiful images and marks the time to develop naturally.

Detail from Rust Diary #2 (2014), 10 x 115cm (4 x 45¼in). Rusty found objects were hand stitched into linen and left out in the elements to stain slowly.

Using this book

This book is intended to be a source of inspiration and ideas. Often, I will be giving you a starting point in the hope that you will discover things that fascinate you. It is only through trying things out that you’ll really learn what works for you. Be encouraged to explore and then take things in your own direction.

All the techniques can be used with minimal equipment: I try to keep things as low-tech and simple as possible. Everything should be achievable while out and about or on the kitchen table with basic materials.

You need to log possibilities. I use sketchbooks to record things I see while I’m out or for developing visual ideas for specific projects. I always have a small one of these in my bag. I have a notebook in which I put ideas about things I might try or develop. This contains sketches or diagrams, references to things I’ve seen or exhibitions I’ve visited.

I also have notebooks in which I keep a record of specific methods or techniques. This becomes really important when trying out new things, especially ones that you might want to repeat. Get into the habit of writing everything down and then you will always be able to refer back if you want to. Sometimes such technical notes are more usefully attached to samples, in which case I write them on a piece of paper to pin or clip to the sample or to slip into an envelope or ring-binder pocket.

Many examples of ways in which I’ve used the techniques are included in the book. Of course this is a very personal take. I have also selected a number of artists whose work I admire: their work illustrates how techniques might be employed in different ways. At the end of the book you’ll find suggestions for further reading and resources. Most of all, it is important to enjoy what you do and feel right about how your creativity is realized – happy exploring.

Sketchbooks, incorporating drawings made on walks, notes from exhibitions and found items.

CHAPTER1

Exploring, finding, collecting

Detail from Pavement Piece #33 (2013), 35 x 24cm (13¾ x 9½in). Silk, cotton, rust print, collagraph print and selective hand stitch.

Hunting and gathering

There are numerous possibilities for gathering materials that can be used for the various techniques described in this book. A walk in the woods, a rummage in the garden shed, even a quick walk to the local corner shop can throw up possibilities. Sometimes I will go out specifically to collect things – perhaps acorns or interesting leaves for eco printing. On other occasions it is a case of seeing what I find and being opportunistic. I tend to apply the mindset of a beachcomber to most places I go. You will be surprised at what is out there for the magpie creative scavenger.

Having always had a propensity to pick up items of interest I now find myself doing it almost unconsciously. I rarely return home without the odd leaf or rusty washer having found its way into my bag. But I am selective: things either need to have interest in terms of their form and feel (a newly fallen acorn has the most beautiful smooth, waxy surface) or have potential for making a mark through one process or another. Small metal objects (washers for example, or squashed beer-bottle tops) are particularly prized. I invariably have a small selection of these accumulating in my jacket pocket.

Hand-woven sample using beach-combed rope and fabric.

Jilly Edwards

Journeys, walks and visits can be recorded and interpreted through sketchbooks, collecting objects and mark-making. A desire to capture the essence of a place is often what drives this process (see Chapter 6page 112). For tapestry weaver Jilly Edwards, journeys are a recurring theme in her work. She often makes use of items collected on her travels, incorporating them into her unconventionally presented woven pieces. Her inspiration comes from the journey as well as the destination.

Detail from Travelling Sampler (2010) by Jilly Edwards. Found objects, weave, stitch, text, paint and collage.

Artist’s statement