Conceptual Development

Iv been very busy over the last couple of weeks pushing towards a solid concept for my new lighting design. After spending hours playing with paper and other flat sheet material to create a 3dimensional form that I was satisfied would work well and be pleasing to the eye I have found it. Taking influence from the mathematical geometric systems and sculpture by George Hart with an addition of sliceform, the finalised form I have produced contains 12 identical modules that are sliced at particular points which slot and interlock with each other to create a 3 dimensional sphere.

Now that I have the form I want to work with, I wanted to take it to another level.
"The language of visual expression defines various morphilogical agents of differentiation"
A combination of many aspects including form,composition and texture make up these agents.Now to introduce a surface texture through specifically choosen materials.
As a lover of fashion and fabrics which was influenced by my time working at Siopa Rince in my teens, fabric is my choosen material. I decided instead of choosing just any fabric I would choose a specific kind of fabric that had a meaning,a story, some nostalga behind it.
My first memory of working creatively with fabric was as a young child staying with my grandmother. Each night before bed we had the same routine, after the 9o'clock news, we would say the rosary together with my grandad then off up to bed. As I lay in bed my granny would sit on the chair next to me and together,everynight we would stitch a new line of crochet to the scarf I was making. From there I was crocheting anything from doilys to cardigans with her.
As crochet is a traditional fabric I am currently in the middle of experimenting with diffrent approches and techniques inorder to make it work within todays contemporary settings and to create fluidity betweeen the form I am working with and the crochet fabric.

Other influential designers that have worked with and been inspired by crochet fabric include Marcel Wanders and Louise Campbell.

Crochet Chair designed by Marcel Wanders

Felt Chairs Designed by Louise Campell

Hope you are all as excited as I am about whats to come :). Will keep you all posted.
Grainne.