Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2014 Review: Best New Illustration & One Year On Textiles

New Designers Adam Corns 2
Illustration by Adam Corns.

I sadly missed the first weekend of New Designers this year, but I made it to the second weekend and made a beeline for the illustration degree and graphic design stands.

New Designers Horses Josephine Birch
I began with the Cambridge School of Art stand, which is always one of the strongest in show. These characterful horses are by Josephine Birch.

New Designers Francesca Esme Morris
I adored this colourful patterned work by Francesca Esme Morris.

New Designers Aleesha Nandra guitars
These wooden cutout guitars by Aleesha Nandhra feature lyrics and imagery from favourite songs.

New Designers 2014 -Jess Bennett
Jess Bennett updated Snakes and Ladders with her Space Race board game, part of a project to ‘make space cool again.’

New Designers Louise Hall- churches
Louise Hall was inspired by the churches of East London for her London Bells series.

New Designers hannah Kurz
Hannah Kurz created these truly stunning illustrations for a book inspired by Nordic folklore.

New Designers Ella Catt
This cute papercut card design is by Ella Catt at Nottingham Trent University.

New Designers Chris Worker
I was most impressed by the monochrome artworks of Chris Worker, who gives a modern spin to the art deco style of Metropolis. This rocket is part of a stencilled visual history of spacecraft and he also did some amazing tarot card designs. A really awesome body of work, do check out his website.

New Designers Claire Evans
I made a quick trip downstairs to check out the always impressive University of Brighton Design & Craft stand and discovered these samples of recycled plastics by Claire Evans, who explores new ways of working with used materials.

New Designers Holly Alexander
This interactive musical quilt by Holly Alexander blends new and old ideas together to encourage the act of storytelling.

New Designers 2014 -gordon gorilla
Hayley Moisley developed her Gordon the Gorilla character as a learning aid, with interchangeable facial features to create different emotions.

New Designers Amy Clare Barden
New Designers Amy Clare Barden crocNew Designers Amy Clare Barden croc
Back on the top floor I discovered yet more talent amongst the Falmouth University graduates. These awesome animals and the crocodile lift the flap book are by Amy Clare Barden.

New Designers Katie Ponder 2
New Designers Katie Ponder
Katie Ponder was the deserving winner of an AOI award for her From the Rite of Spring series.

New Designers Sessions Surf Shop by Joe Baines
Joe Baines created this eye catching identity for the Sessions Surf Shop.

There is something no nonsense about the way that Falmouth put their identikit boards together and bed down at both New Blood and New Designers every summer, but I would really love to see what the students could do with a stand alone show in London one year.

New Designers Jordan Wray at Plymouth College of Art
Over at Plymouth College of Art Jordan Wray depicted a host of fish in The Element of Surprise.

New Designers Katie Turner
New Designers katie turner foxes
Cute patterns featuring badgers, strawberries, foxes and mushrooms by Katie Turner would look great on wrapping paper.

New Designers Sam Thorne
Sam Thorne’s shouty lady is the best kind of optical madness.

New Designers Adam Corns
People on their iPads everywhere, and fabulous brights (see top of the post). There was some awesome work on show from Adam Corns at Birmingham City University.

New Designers Bunnies by Hollie Crooker
This tumbling pile of bunnies by Hollie Crooker is an astonishingly detailed bit of art.

New Designers award winner Matthew Alker
Over at UCA Farnham I was introduced to the award winning work of Matthew Alker.

New Designers Dogs, by Angelica Hood at UCA Farnham
These plush dogs with lolling tongues are by Angelica Hood.

New Designers Otro Mundo Libby Parra
New Designers 2014 -libby parra
I was immensely chuffed to be gifted one of the best things I found at New Designers; Otro Mundo, a beautiful limited edition risograph zine by Libby Parra, printed by Ditto Press. Her otherworldly creatures are bathed in a neon glow as they wriggle across the pages.

New Designers sparklymouse
New Designers sparklymouse face
At the end of my visit I just had time to visit the One Year On zone. This cheerful hoop embroidery is by Louise Jones, aka Sparklymouse.

New Designers Berty B
This great retro inspired textile design is by BertyB.

New Designers Neon weave
Angie Parker hand weaves these epic neon textiles; absolutely stunning.

New designers charlie mortley
Charlie Mortley’s galactic textile designs were used to great effect in upholstery.

New Designers rosie moss
And finally (phew) these lush figurative textiles are by Rosie Moss, who contributed illustrations to Amelia’s Magazine many moons ago.

Categories ,2014, ,Adam Corns, ,Aleesha Nandhra, ,Amy Clare Barden, ,Angelica Hood, ,Angie Parker, ,BertyB, ,Birmingham City University, ,Business Design Centre, ,Cambridge School of Art, ,Charlie Mortley, ,Chris Worker, ,Claire Evans, ,Design & Craft, ,Ditto Press, ,Ella Catt, ,Falmouth University, ,Francesca Esme Morris, ,Gordon the Gorilla, ,Hannah Kurz, ,Hayley Moisley, ,Hollie Crooker, ,Holly Alexander, ,illustration, ,Jess Bennett, ,Joe Baines, ,Jordan Wray, ,Josephine Birch, ,Katie Ponder, ,Katie Turner, ,Libby Parra, ,London Bells, ,Louise Hall, ,Louise Jones, ,Matthew Alker, ,Metropolis, ,New Blood, ,New Designers, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,One Year On, ,Otro Mundo, ,Plymouth College of Art, ,review, ,Rite of Spring, ,Rosie Moss, ,Sam Thorne, ,Sense of Making, ,Sessions Surf Shop, ,Space Race, ,Sparklymouse, ,textiles, ,The Element of Surprise, ,UCA Farnham, ,University of Brighton

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Amelia’s Magazine | Moving Textiles: Digital Encounters, an interview with Louize Harries

Louize Harries Digital Encounters
Louize Harries, Digital Encounters.

The University for the Creative Arts currently hosts Digital Encounters, the final exhibition in the Crysalis Project Moving Textiles series, curated by Jenna Rossi‐Camus. In this exciting exhibition the works of over forty emerging and established textile designers, artists and craftspeople explore the place of digital technology in contemporary textile practice. I spoke with exhibitor Louize Harries, formerly of Prick Your Finger and now engaged in her own fine art textiles practice.

Digital Encounters-Louise Harries robotcontactsheet
Louise Harries, Robot contact sheet.

How did you tackle the brief: Digital Encounters?
The question the curator set us was ‘How do you see the future of textiles and it’s relationship to digital media?’ Coming up with ideas for anything is the easy part for me; it’s the editing of them that is the harder bit! But, as the question was wide it was a good chance to tie up and bring together lots of ideas I had floating around and form them into something new. The development came with doing lots of research, starting with the stuff I am already into, which at the moment is sci-fi and robotploitation films (Cherry 2000, Sex Kittens Go To College, Metropolis) so it was like a giant join up the dots. I had also just finished reading Homer’s Iliad and I realised that Hephaestus (who makes Achilles’ armour) had golden mechanical handmaidens to assist him… so there it all was… the first mention of robots, and female ones… and the idea which every crafts person struggles with, which is the labour involved in making. Even Hephaestus struggled and he was the Greek god of craft. ‘Future’ in today’s discourse is often about progress and speed, but making handwoven tapestries must be one of the slowest techniques known to humans since the process hasn’t essentially changed since the 3rd century. So the only time it will speed up is if a weave bot is invented: I thought I’d become my own Hephaestus golden handmaid and using the technology I had available my on my iphone 4 I filmed and edited myself weaving a series of robot-selfies! I don’t tend to focus or attach myself too heavily to outcomes, so I see them almost as a side effect of the process and research and explorations. I welcome developments along the way and trust in any last minute swerves and detours!

Charley Mortley - Digital Depth of Fold
Charlie Mortley, Digital Depth of Fold.

What was the process of creation?
It was long! I can and do work to tight deadlines, so before each project I make a timetable so I know roughly how long I can spend doing R&R vs making… but this project had a long lead time so I enjoyed myself!

Digital Encounters-JamesFox_NotNow_2014
James Fox, Not Now.

Did you learn anything new from taking part in this exhibition?
YES! I learnt how to edit and do special effects on my phone and that I need to practice my public speaking cos I ALWAYS do a bit of a freezer during any presentations and symposiums and find myself thinking of odd stuff just when I’m supposed to be answering questions!

Digital Encounters-Faye Tinmouth_IT_PhotoChristopherTurner_2014
Faye Tinmouth

What else have you been working on this summer?
This summer I’ve also been working as part of an amazing collective set up by Lyall Hakaraia from Vogue Fabrics in Dalston. It’s called Vogue goes Rogue and we have done a series of creative journeys or ritualistic corporate journeys which have involved making totems and much magic and fun; for instance I made a 5×4 meter totem called THE COLLECTOR which we took to Glastonbury, paraded through Hackney and used in a performace at the Ram Place pop up fashion market/space set up by the Barbican as part of curation for the John Paul Gaultier exhibition.

Digital Encounters-Carol Quarini_unheededwarning_2014
Carol Quarini, Unheeded Warning.

What is your favourite method of textile construction at the moment and why?
My favorite method of textile construction is a hard one as I have a big love for all forms of constructed textiles… but having said that I do love weaving! I love that most methods are simple to grasp but take a life time to master, so you can always improve and you learn constantly. And it can all be done with really simple equipment: the fact that you only need two sticks or one hook or a basic frame to make the most amazing stuff still excites me!!

The Digital Encounters exhibition takes place at the Herbert Read Gallery on the UCA Canterbury campus and finishes on the 26th July so you have just a few days left to take a look at all the work on show for yourself.

@UCA_Crysalis
www.twitter.com/UCA_Crysalis
#digitalencounters

Categories ,Canterbury, ,Carol Quarini, ,Charlie Mortley, ,Cherry 2000, ,Crysalis Project, ,Digital Encounters, ,Faye Tinmouth, ,hackney, ,Handwoven, ,Hephaestus, ,Herbert Read Gallery, ,Iliad, ,interview, ,iphone 4, ,James Fox, ,Jenna Rossi‐Camus, ,Louise Harries, ,Louize Harries, ,Lyall Hakaraia, ,Metropolis, ,Moving Textiles, ,Prick your Finger, ,Ram Place, ,robot-selfies, ,Robotploitation, ,Sci-Fi, ,Sex Kittens Go To College, ,Tapestry, ,THE COLLECTOR, ,UCA Canterbury, ,University for the Creative Arts, ,Vogue Fabrics, ,Vogue goes Rogue

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