Development of Weave Samples - Research

This week I set out to develop the samples I created from last week by relating the weave patterns and yarns more closely to my drawings and visual research from the archive visits. 

I gathered trimmings and yarns from fabric shops which relate closely to elements of the photos I took from the archives such as tassels and pom-poms which I will use in my woven samples. 

Experimenting with colour and arrangement of lines

I have learned to appreciate the ratio of colours within my work and how this relates to my drawings. I have been heavily influenced by different yarn qualities such as texture and compositions when arranged next to each other. I have also been strongly influenced by the tassels from the curtains of the 'Wonderful World of Entertainment' image above and my colour palette is tailored slightly more towards that image than others. 

I have attempted to experiment with different patterns on the loom, incorporating the colours and compositions from my drawings - the chevron pattern has interlinking lines which link to the majority of my drawings. The texture of the tassels in my original images and drawings is depicted through the use of pom-poms in all of my samples, whether they are brightly-coloured to symbolise fun at Blackpool Pleasure Beach or darker which represents the lack of fun and a darker side to fairgrounds such as Belle Vue.

Visit my Pinterest page to view some of the things that have inspired me through the start of this project along with contextual images. I feel that my samples would be tailored towards the interiors market, or perhaps as smaller pieces in the fashion sector such as collars or cuffs, for example. 

I wanted to experiment with the composition of my woven samples in order to refine my ideas and identify what has worked best so far in the project. 

I developed two more samples which are reflective of this; one being 'fun' like at Blackpool and one  being 'dark and scarce' like at Belle Vue.

Passimentrie Weave - Week One

I've found lots of challenges this first week in weave - creating the warp, threading the loom and following the weave patterns. 

I started to create wrappings to inspire me in terms of colours to use in my weaves. I initially created two colour palettes; one bright and one dark to symbolise fun and beauty from Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the dark side to fairgrounds like was demonstrated at Belle Vue. 

I also designed my warp with this in mind - I wanted a lighter side and a darker side which could reflect my initial colour palette. I have 24 ends on each side; three lots of eight. This creates a float when I weave into it which creates slight gaps which links to the structure of the rides in Blackpool as well as the distance between the two attractions. 

Before I began weaving, I wanted to refine my colour palette in order to put colours together that complimented each other. I also wanted to look for some yarns and threads that would create an unusual and different texture on the surface of the woven pieces. I found some yarn at home that looked slightly like purple mohair and some yarn with bobbles on. 

I decided that for this first week I would concentrate more on the bright, colourful, fun side so I experimented with different yarns and threads in order to sample. 

             

I like the effect of the thicker chenille yarns with the warp colours along with the fancy yarns I found and used. This adds an element of 'fun' into the samples.

VV Rouleaux

VV Rouleaux was established in 1990 in London. The business manufactures ribbons, trimmings, edging and beads and sells them to the public along with large design houses such as Paul Smith, Karen Millen, Marc Jacobs and Julien Macdonald who use them in their garments. 

When Annabelle from the company came to speak to us she brought some samples of what she has made. 

My favourite samples were the ones that had fringing on the edges of the woven strips. The fringing was made from horse tails on some of the samples which was an unusual texture. 

 I would like to attempt the looping on the top of this strip of weave when it comes to creating my own samples. 

I also found that a few of the samples were brightly coloured which linked to one of  the colour palettes that I have created for my own samples. I intend to weave using a bright colour palette with muted tones down one side to symbolise the 'dark side' of fairgrounds then use embroidery techniques and beading to start creating accessories such as collars, for example. 

Beautiful VS Ugly at The Fair...

Throughout the week I have visited two archives and I have discovered the beautiful side to fairgrounds, but also the ugly side to them too. Blackpool Pleasure Beach allows people to escape reality for the day and is a magical place for all the family. There are bright lights, thrills and entertainment for everyone. 

Belle Vue was magical at the start; an escape from reality after the war, seeing live animals and being able to dance in the ballrooms. However, dig deeper and the problems behind it were enormous. Belle Vue could be a dark place. The animals being mistreated and the sheer disregard for safety and public health are extremely worrying factors behind the masterpiece that was Belle Vue. 

This made me think of other reasons why fairgrounds could be dark places. The Chernobyl disaster happened on 26th April 1986 and was a catastrophic nuclear disaster that released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. This killed thousands of people and the effects afterwards could not be imagined. Many people became deformed due to the radioactive material in the atmosphere. There is a Ferris Wheel still there today that was part of a fairground due to open on 1st May 1986, (5 days after the disaster), in Pripyat, a city near where the power plant exploded.

The images are shocking and demonstrate how abandoned the scene became. A place that was supposed to be fun instantly became very scarce and lifeless.

Belle Vue Archive

 The Belle Vue Archive Visit made me aware of the darker side to the fairground and entertainment industry. The park was operational between 1836-1980, founded by the Jenison family and was described as being 'bigger than Disneyland'. It was one of the biggest successes in the entertainment industry at the time and the Jennison family made a huge amount of money from it due to making everything themselves - beer, designing signs and catering for example. There were things featured at the park that people hadn't seen before such as wild animals in the zoo and impressive fireworks to exhilarating rides and dramatic circus shows. Belle Vue was advertised to be something really beautiful, but it was a dark place sometimes - it had an 'ugly' side. 

The animals in the zoo didn't survive very long due to being mistreated and worked to death. Once they arrived at Belle Vue the animals only lasted weeks/months. 

In addition, once an accident had occurred (such as a member of the public being decapitated on a ride because he stood up), the Jenison's didn't acknowledge it or enforce any safety procedures. Another worrying event was when George Jennison (grandson of the founder) was bitten by a Chimpanzee, so he shot it dead in front of the public. A famous chimpanzee called 'Consul' was also made to smoke and ride a bike, but only survived 5 years and was replaced with a replica chimp to deceive the public. Baring in mind chimps live to be 30/40 usually, this was horrific.

Other attractions included, 'The Palace of Strange Girls' which was suspected to be either 'fat' or 'dwarfed' girls that the public went to laugh at.

The park was sold in 1920 and the new owners built a fairground on it which was successful for many years due to it having the fastest and highest roller coaster in the world there - the 'BOB'. However, the popularity of the whole park declined around 1960 due to better places being available to go. 

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Archive

The trip to Blackpool made me realise how much thought goes into the entertainment industry. The man giving the initial talk explained that the Pleasure Beach as a business have to keep updating their rides and attractions in order to sustain the interest from people seeking thrills. He also explained  how this influenced people after World War 2. I believe that the park was part of an escape from reality after the war and allowed people to escape from the real world for the time that they spent on the rides. I also believe that the rides allowed people to experience thrill for the first time in a long time.

Bright strobe lighting

Exploring the park enabled me to view the structure of the rides and the way that they all interlink with each other across the park. I also noticed the bright colours of the rides and the graphic text on the signs around the park. I particularly liked the lights that hung around the park as I feel it makes the park look magical and mystical. This adds to the feeling of escapism and being in a land of wonder and dreams. 

Roller coasters are mainly simple primary colours. I find it fascinating how the track swerves back through the centre of the coaster and loops round.

After being shown the costume collection that they have there, I found that the colours were, again, bright and would make anyone stand out from the crowd. I loved the designs that were pinned on the wall in the studio too, due to their bright, graphic quality. 

The costumes were the most interesting part of the visit for me. I liked the carnival feeling to them and the bright colours used on some of them.

One of the head wear pieces reminded me of the famous fairground snack candy floss due to its feathery, light consistency.

Pinterest

Please visit my Pinterest Page to view images that have inspired me throughout my projects.