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| Background
The vigorous new developments in British and Japanese art &
designer textiles are essential to the regeneration of the textile
economies of both countries. The exhibition ‘Textural Space:
contemporary Japanese textile art’ which toured the UK during
‘Japan 2001’, proved outstandingly successful with both
the public & the press, generating 83,415 visitors & coverage
in 42 magazines, 13 national & 43 regional newspapers.
THROUGH THE SURFACE is the next
step, a collaborative project, building upon the relationships established
during ‘Textural Space’. |
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| Both projects have been organised by Lesley Millar, originated
through, & supported by, The Surrey Institute of Art & Design
University College, one of the largest centres for Art and Design
education in Europe.
The Project
THROUGH THE SURFACE explores points of difference and similarity
within the cultures of Japan and Britain. The real exchange of ideas,
techniques and an understanding of cultural and personal sensibilities
as they relate to working practice can best be achieved through
close collaboration resulting in a practical outcome. |
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| Young textile artists will travel and work with established
artists in their opposite country, exchange of ideas and techniques
and explore how this can impact on future practice. These placements
will be nationwide in Britain and in the Kansai and Gunma regions
of Japan, with 7 partnerships in total. The emerging artists will
stay between 10 and 12 weeks and then return to their own country.
All the artists will then make work as a result of the exchange,
some of the work will be collaborative and artists will make their
work separately, however, close contact between partners will be
maintained through the internet. |
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| THROUGH THE SURFACE is a multi-layered title and in this way
reflects the many levels of this project. 'Surface' can mean texture,
the outer layer, a membrane. Through the surface can mean 'something
emerging' or ‘beyond the immediately visible'. The emerging
relationships within THROUGH THE SURFACE are created through collaborative
involvement with the surface texture and hidden structure of textiles. |
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| The final outcome will be an exhibition
of work produced, which will be shown in both Britain and Japan
during 2004/5. This exhibition will be designed by an architect
who will work with the participants and venues from the earliest
stages of the project.
In order to maximise the impact of the project there will also
be a wide education programme
to accompany the project. This education programme will contain
projects for schools, FE and HE Institutions, for community based
groups and for the general public.
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This project is based in collaboration - between textile artists
who are at different stages of career development, between architect/designers
and practitioners, and between educational and arts organizations
in both countries. Key areas of collaboration have been identified
as:
~links between textiles, science and technology;
~ the impact of new materials and processes on the re-evaluation
of traditional practice;
~ textiles as architectural intervention;
~ the use of materials that act as interface between interior design
and fashion. |
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The partnerships in
Britain
Maxine Bristow/ Kyoko Nitta
Re-evaluating the traditional techniques of needlepoint and knotting
to create interventions within the built environment
Frances Geesin/ Kaori Hosozawa
Investigating the possibilities of interactive installations through
new materials and new technology
Jeanette Appleton/Naoko Yoshimoto
Exploring felt and stitch, combining the most ancient cloth making
technique with the most modern technology |
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| The partnerships in Japan
Teruyoshi Yoshida/Claire Barber
Exploring ritual and response to tradition and performance through
print, weave and construction
Michiko Kawarabayashi/Ealish Wilson
Determining different approaches through print and mixed media to
the body and to interiors
Machiko Agano/Anniken Amundsen
Knit, weave and constructed textiles considering natural forms and
links with scientific discovery
Junichi Arai/Tim Parry Williams
Exploration of the most pioneering cloth constructions and surfaces
to be applied to fashion and interior fabrics |
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| The Website
The website has a central role in this project. All participants
will keep a work journal during their involvement in the project
and pages from these journals will be published on this website
at regular intervals. This will provide maximum access and will
create real-time documentation of the Project. Each partnership
will also be interviewed and photographed for publication on the
website. The ‘Textural Space’ website (www.texturalspace.com
) has built up a huge following worldwide and this audience will
be taken forward to the THROUGH THE SURFACE website. Relevant documentation
from the website will be collected onto a cd rom which will be shown
during the exhibition.
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| Catalogue
Tthrough its design, the catalogue has succeeded in reflecting the
excitement of the working processes of the artists. The ring-binding,
the layering of images and the use of quotes from the artists, all
create the flavour of a work book; while the contributions from
the artists and others involved in the project help contextualise
this complex project. The support from Curtis Fine Papers has allowed
us to use a variety of papers as further, subtle, indicators of
process and outcome. The beautiful photographs of the Japanese work
by Toshiharu Kawabe and of the British work by Damian Chapman and
Ian Forsyth describe the final outcomes with a breathtaking clarity.
It is now available from the venues price £20 and by mail
order (order
form pdf) plus postage and packing
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