National Army Museum. Powerful Red Cloth.

Red is the emotionally intense colour. It stimulates a faster heart rate and breathing. 

"Red is obviously such a stimulating color, and it has so many connotations." --P. J. Harvey

My exhibition will be the concept of the colour red, and what it represents in the pieces I have chosen and also the relationship between the piece and the colour. How important is red in contemporary art and design? What impact do the 1700s red coat army designs for todays design work? 

I have chosen three non military pieces, and three military works from the National Army Museum. 

The “Red Coats” of war represented the power, strength and determination of Britain. 

The use of red dye was relatively cheap, the process of dying the fabric was the use of Madder, a vegetable dye that has been used since prehistoric times. This dying process was only used for the soldier uniforms. However the officers uniform for the army was created by a more expensive dye, which was cochineal (a more acid way of dying) this way of dying created a more brighter and richer colour. 

Some historians say that the uniforms used red as a way not to show the blood and wounds on the cloth. This would add to the soldiers strength, as the enemy would believe they are indestructible.

On the other hand, fresh and contemporary artists and designers use red to stand out, to be above the crowd. Almost to show the world what they are made of. 

Some artists are flippant with the colour, but some use it with precise and meaning, in a very intelligent manner. 

This is also the case in fashion, its a peacock effect. To show people what you’ve got and how you are going to use it to your advantage. One red piece in a catwalk full of neutral colours could be the the most effective show in history. Just for the shock, and the “re-take” look we have on it. 

Ralph Lauren. Autumn/ Winter 2008 collection. 

Strong, beautiful and poised. This fashion piece fusions old with the new. Well cut and tailored with sharp edges of print and textual additions. Ralf Lauren’s black skin tight skirt in this piece adds a pinch of sex appeal, as you can see the curve of her leg through the tight and luxurious fabric. 

Red is a extremely important colour here. Lauren uses it as a key. The whole outfit uses it as a base. It is there as a centre for the image. The red takes over the actual model wearing it, it stands on its own, independent. The shade of red in this piece is alike the red that the officers would of worn during the red coat age. 

In this particular piece the Red is very purposeful and creates an illusion of strict power and represents a femininity that turns into something masculine.

Recruiting Sergeant. 1806. 
This model is from the National Army Museum. The piece represents a soldier in power as a recruiting sergeant from the 1800s. 
I find this particular model highly interesting, his tall black hat hiding his identity and his slight pout, poised to shout orders. 
His outfit is well put together but slightly loose in parts, for example the knitted sash is kind of all over the place which contrasts to the rest of him which is well under control. 

As a officer his jacket would of been dyed the expensive way of cochineal dying. 
His red jacket is his uniform but he wears the red with pride, with his fist on his hip and his observational gaze from under his hat. 
The red in this model, works as a structural element.The red enforces the pride that he must of felt to be a strong and important.

Alexander McQueen, Red draped dress. 

McQueens red draped dress contrasts with the last two exhibits, in which are structured and very tightly controlled. 

I could of chosen any of McQueens tailored and restricted pieces but I chose this one because it speaks more to me and is more effective for my theme.

Her stance is similar to the war model before but with less conviction with a kind of airy feel the the piece. She half clutches onto her pearls and has a vacant expression on her face.  

The red in this image is what creates the dress. 
Completely opposite to the military red coats, it isn't strong and un-powerful. This piece is particularly fragile and delicate. 
The red looks like accidental stains, which links with the red coats as there whole purpose was to resist the showing any blood stains during battle to increase there strong outset. But this McQueen piece holds onto the stains, it embraces them. The red is strong and rich at the bottom but them increases its density towards the top. The red in this piece is the foundation for the dress. It is its base.

Private Matthew Clay. Battle of Waterloo, 1815. 

This model depicting Matthew Clay is very different to the past war museum model depicting an officer. 

This private is obviously in the middle of battle, squinting at the enemy, trying to work out his next shot. His face has question about it, is he going to make it?
His grip is tight on his gun, his stance is turned ready to strike or run. 

What I found most interesting about this model is his uniform being completely ruined with the dark mud, untidy and not strong at all. 
This model to me is the harsh reality of 1800s war. Untidy, confusion and weak. 

The element of red in this piece is weakened, and not intentionally. the mud acts as a camouflage which the the complete opposite intention of what the red coats were all about.
On the other hand the red is still there, almost peaking through a gap. Letting us know that a small element of strength is hanging on with this private. The red in this is hope and determination.

Damian Hirst- Red.

Damian Hirst’s “Red” represents a artist who knows his colour. This is one of his early pieces where he painted using a spin table, spinning the colour around the canvas. It sounds like a very free and easy way to create a painting but it the end product is structured and controlled. creating strict lines but still showing movement throughout the piece. 

This painting I believe represents everything about the colour red. 

The swift movements of showing a intensity of emotion that red brings to people, the light strands of the shade weaving in and out in the background showing a delicate side but with an sharp edge representing love. 

All together the red is intense and powerful. I think Hirst wanted it like that. To be noticed, and it being hard for people to forgot it. Thats why he chose Red, he knew it would effect you in any way you wanted.

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1650-1722.

This model depicts Churchill at his worst, ill whilst in battle. His head is in his hands, tattered hat and worn out trousers. Alike the previous model from the museum this model depicts the desperation and pain that war brings. 

Sat on what looks like a sand bag he looks like he is in his final hour. waiting for something bad to happen.

His red jacket however is untouched. The cleanest part on him, shines out from the rest of the image. 

The red shines like a alarm. the shocking of the colour could cancel out the rest of the sadness in this model.

Red shines in this model. Its strong and it almost acts as a reminder, to keep strong and to be in power.

.............................................................

“I’m so fortunate to be red! I’m fiery. I’m strong. I know men take notice of me and that I cannot be resisted.

I do not conceal myself: For me, delicacy manifests itself neither in weakness nor in subtlety, but through determination and will. So, I draw attention to myself. I’m not afraid of other colours, shadows, crowds or even of loneliness. How wonderful it is to cover a surface that awaits me with my own victorious being! “

-Orhan Pamuk My Name is Red

.............................................................

Our bodies are full of red strength and power like the artists and soldiers. It’s just our decision to let it come to the surface to show the world what we have to offer. 

Weave. Technical Block 3.

The past two weeks i’ve been doing Weave. I haven't done anything like weave before so I was excited and a little bit apprehensive as I didnt know what I thought of it, because it looks very technical and abit “faffy”. 

My first try at weaving.

At first is was just a few days of getting to grips with weaving and working out how the loom works.

I was asked to look at my drawings, wrappings and windings and colour schemes. This would help me work out what colour yarn and what kind of weave my work is headed to. 

After two afternoons on the loom I understood it, It was then time to try and work out the patterns that my tutor had given me to work on. 

I found weaving really therapeutic and calming. If you have a good playlist on your ipod you can really get carried away with it. My tune of choice of Respect by Erasure.

We were set a task to find samples of various different fabrics from different fabric shops around London. I went to Berwick Street and found a lovely fabric shop where they generously gave me eight different samples. With these small pieces of fabric we were asked to deconstruct the pieces and work out the weave they were created with. 


We were also asked to create windings to represent my weaves. This could work into the colour scheme, build or shape of the weave.

By the end of Weave I was really sad to finish it. It was my favorite block so far, I believe that my textile skills are maybe suited to Weave and a constructed textile design as appose to flat and pure design textiles.

I felt like my weave designs were less experimental and more of a traditional technique. 

However I liked my final weaves, I used the methods that were suggested and I created my own pattern by experimenting with lifting the shafts in many different orders. 

Christmas Knitting.

Recently I have been really getting into my knitting, maybe its because its christmas. I bought some beautiful scarlet red furry wool and used it to create a headband using plain knitting and a button. 

It doesn't quit keep my ears warm but it makes me feel like christmas is coming. 

Heres one I made earlier...

-60s vintage photograph. 

Savage Beauty.

Today I needed time and abit of space so I visited the V+A museum, I sat in a trance and looked at this Mcqueen piece for a good twenty minutes. Genius. 

“For me, what I do is an artistic expression which is channeled through me. Fashion is just the medium.”  - Alexander Mcqueen.

Inspiration.

Underwater photography- Neil Craver.

Print. Technical Block 2.

After a week of drawing, I then moved onto my second technical block of which was Print. I found the prospect of print exciting and new. I had done some printing before but not in a facility like Chelsea offers.

My print station.

The first day I was instructed to do some black and white drawings of my collection of objects. This time I chose to focus on my porcelain Bambi book stop. 

I found it difficult at first as I neglected this particular object as it is hard to draw but I tried and once I managed it it payed off. 

Through the drawing day I had my drawings were slowly developing into designs. Even if I didnt like the design I could work with it. 

 First I start with the ink, it didn’t work well. But it gave me a base to work on, and a motif to develop. 

 I start to develop and clear up my drawing. Using the inked Bambi’s as a reference. 

 I then define the drawing. So its clear and could be used as a print easily. 

By the end of the day I have a possible print design idea.

Later on in the week I had a CAAD workshop. This gave me the opportunity to develop my ideas even further in a digital way.



Photoshop enabled me to define and work into my designs. I came up with three Bambi heads that I wanted to take forward as a design.

I then played around with these designs, either repeating the pattern or altering them into a shape. 

I chose to go with the repeated pattern of the deers for my final design. Very graphical for me but I liked how it wasn't my normal work. Plus I think it would nicely as a repeated screen print.

Within my print block I was asked to take pictures of people wearing print, therefore on a night out/day I completed my task. It was abit embarrassing but I got there in the end!

Henry, 19. Wearing a “I Heart NY” placement print t-shirt.  

 Olivia and Emma both 19. Olivia wears stripey printed top and Emma wears a repeated print dress and waistcoat. 

 Hannah, 19. Wearing repeated 60s paisley patterned dress.

And finally me, 19. Wearing flowery repeated pattern summer dress. I want it to be this hot again!

After my day/night print searching, I was in college for a full day of printing with the screens and my silk. 

I used various techniques such as stencilling and mono printing. 

This is favourite design. The repeated pattern doesn't distract from my design. It works well in a simple form. 

After my Printing day I had a dye workshop, where I worked with acid dyes on cotton and silk. 

My sketchbook page with technical notes and dyed samples. 

Collage and Illustration.

The next week is a drawing week, therefore I take the opportunity to develop my drawing and mess around with it. 

One of my illustrations from my personal sketchbook. 

A collage and illustration mix also from my sketchbook. 

My cat stencil. Painted using two colours of paint. Also taken from my personal sketchbook.

Cat killed a bird. Drawing from my personal sketchbook. 

The back of my sketchbook and one of my paintings.

Stitch. Technical Block 1.

For the last two weeks I have started my technical blocks. My first block was Stitch of which I found very challenging. 

My stitch station for the two weeks. 

First we were to look into our drawings we did in our workshops that we did a week before technical blocks. I then had to think about what stitch ideas connect with my drawings. 

I was pushed to experiment with our fabrics and to challenge my ideas to see what works. 

I chose to work with a more textual drawing that I did, that contained brush marks. I also gained my colour scheme from this image aswell. 

My textual drawing that I chose to work from. This is what I based my entire stitch collection around. I extracted the line work, the brush marks and the colour scheme to create my collection. 

I started experimenting with elastic, wool, lycra, paper and broken needle techniques. 

All of these techniques worked okay but I really liked using a combination between the broken needle and paper as it gave me a really beautiful textured 3D look.

One of my very first samples. I was experimenting with wool as a bottom thread and it turned out like this. I used the broken needle on this sample aswell. I liked it, however it didnt fit in with my drawings and plus it looked like intestines!

Sketchbook Page : One of my samples that encouraged me to use paper in my samples. I used the broken needle to push through paper from the back of the fabric to the front. I like how fragile this piece is. 

One of samples, you can see the relationship to these chosen samples and my final pieces. This piece has the idea of the stripes, multimedia and layers. I think both of these samples were clear points to where my project took off and I had an idea. 

After a tutorial with my tutor, she urged me to use paper as a base instead of the fabric. I took her advice and it worked alot better than I expected. 

Two of my sketchbook pages. Drawings, technical and tutorial notes and samples alongside each other. 

I was pleased with my final samples, however I wish I would of experimented more and worked outside of the box for my samples, I think I would enjoyed it better if I did. The block was very trying for me, I found it pushed my imagination and motivation. I enjoyed this as I enjoy a challenge. 

1/4 final pieces. Cutwork using the broken needle with card, standing alongside stitch on the machine that has raised up into a 3d form. 

2/4 final piece. Using almost the same process as the first sample I used fabric as a clear base and stitched onto the pice with card and thread. I used bondawebb to incorporate the broken needle card onto the piece. I also simply stitched my design onto the fabric, some of the stitching was heavy and some was light. Alike to my drawing I was working from.

3/4 Final piece. This one is alot more busier than the rest. Alot more simple stitch and les broken needle design. I created this design on a transparent viol textile and used card as a base again to sneak through when I did use the broken needle. There is a clear connection to the paint marks in my drawing I have chosen and to this piece. 

4/4 Final piece. I used fabric and card as a base for this piece, the fabric was heavily stitched on. I then used the broken needle as a kind of window idea, so the fabric was peeking though. This technique added layers and looks more clean cut than the rest of my samples. However I find it more boring than the rest.

At the end of the two weeks I was exhausted! My textiles were pushed to create and I had motivate myself to think of original ideas.

However my idea wasn’t that original but was a simple idea that I think pulled off in a interesting and visually pleasing way.