Amelia Zandra Textiles

Architecture has evolved over thousands of years, from very basic designs to elaborate, carved, intricate designs, to state of the art, modern futuristic buildings. These architectural designs are now becoming almost a piece of art work themselves, decorating our major cities and their skylines. Looking at the examples below I am inspired and intrigued by the lines in the design of the buildings. Where the light hits the buildings, certain surfaces are highlighted and where as other parts are not illuminated by the natural light and appear darker and shaded. This can give a more extreme 3D effect.  Through my research this week I have discovered Brutalist Architecture. This form of design became prevalent in the 1950's to the 1970's. The design was utilitarian, where concrete, brick, glass and steel, were used more in a way of 'function over form style'. The architecture as you can see below was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, some may say even ugly.

My aim is to design and create a collection of interior wallpaper coverings for major high street stores such as Debenhams, Next and John Lewis. As usual visual research will be my starting point and will be undertaken using inspiration from iconic architectural designs and the buildings that surround me. I intend to create a visual research book which gathers images and research. This research will involve looking at the shapes and lines of buildings and my interpretation of this. Using different ideas and techniques to create a 3D effect from a 2D image, whilst exploring shadows, shapes and colours. Techniques I could use to create designs for my outcome could vary from hand drawn to digitally formed. I would like to include collaging as a technique to show different appearances and textures within a design. I intend to research using the internet, the university library and photographs captured on my personal travels. As usual I will begin by looking and taking in my surroundings

Reflecting on the live brief as a whole, I have found this unit interesting and enjoyable. At the beginning it seemed a little daunting as this was the first time I have done a live brief. Achieving the intricate geometric designs using the spirograph was fulfilling and almost therapeutic. I think my designs are a true reflection of the many different patterns that have been used to create geometric art. Geometric patterns have long been used in design, on fabrics, ceramics, rugs and in later years wallpaper. Through this unit I feel my skills as a designer and in time management have improved. I have managed to create art work with a strong personal identity. This has been achieved through strong research, visual design and achievement of personal goals relevant to the unit. As usual inspiration has been taken from previous designs of artists that have specialised in geometric pattern. This has proved invaluable as I have progressed through this unit.

                               My portfolio of work for Geometric Patterns Here you can see my collection coming together. Through research I have taken inspiration from many different geometric patterns which have derived from Islamic, Indian and Celtic artwork. Many of these patterns can be seen frequently on sacred temples around the world. They are often printed on ceramic or used on printed fabrics. To achieve these many designs I used different forms of media and techniques. Focusing on Islamic geometric patterns I noticed similarity between the intricate designs and those achieved as a child using a Spirograph, a geometric drawing toy producing various intertwining and overlapping  curves. Other medias used were regular graph paper and dotted paper to achieve accurate designs. For my colour chart I have chosen vivid pictures that involve bright colours which I feel will work well with the geometric patterns to make them stand out.  Above are basic examples o