FINAL FIBRE PROJECT

The purpose of this project is to create a series of pieces using surface design, print techniques, or ways of color. These pieces must relate to “Home”.

Through this semester, I related my projects to “Home” using whatever the current situation was as a base. My first project showed the relationship between me and my family in our home. As the semester progressed the workload got heavier, I spent less and less time at home, I had more independence – and this fact inspired my second project – a portrait that showed less of my family and more of myself.

For this project, my concept will follow along these lines. I find that when I finally meet with my family on the weekends, I am constantly reminding them to do things and also reassure them of my presence. This got me thinking: what on Earth do the do when I’m not here?

Using the techniques of block printing, stencilling, and silk screening, I created three hangings that show little reminders of my existence – albeit outside the home. A length of fabric supported by two rods and a string for hanging, with a textual sign accompanied by designs that relate to the words. Fonts and colours played a role in these hangings.

The signs I made are:

· ZOOM! We have an high definition LCD television at home, and because not all the channels are high definition, sometimes there are two black bars framing the picture centrally in the screen. These black bars, when left on the screen for two long, “burn” into the LCD and creates a shadow of it even when the picture is in high definition. To avoid this burnout, there is an option on the remote to zoom in and then the whole picture fills the screen. My family ALWAYS forgets to zoom in and I ALWAYS have to remind them. So now since I’m not at home they are probably letting the TV burn, really bad. This hanging is placed behind and above the television, as a reminder to zoom in on the TV screen to avoid burnout.

· What’s for dinner? This is placed in the kitchen right beside the stove/oven; as a little reminder to my mother that I still live here and she will forever be pestered by this question. Since I am a horrible cook and can not make anything edible, I rely on my parents to cook for me (yes, I know, horrible). Since I come home around one or two in the morning, I am always hoping that there will be dinner left for me. But sometimes my parents forget and I am left to eat breakfast foods. So hopefully this sign will remind my parents to leave some food for me.

· Can you please ­­­­____________ This is placed on the fridge, held up my a magnet. There is a piece of acetate sewed onto the bottom, and a dry erase marker attached to the side. I often leave notes around if I need supplies, money, or can’t find something in the house that I need. The problem is that I leave notes everywhere so not all of them are seen. This hanging will be a centralized place for my notes, so they will get seen!

Challenges I faced were alignment when silk screening, it was hard to see through the screen to the fabric below. Also, because it was only a stencil that I was forcing paint through and not emulsion, some smudging occurred.

To further develop this I would do more hangings in different places with different messages. These will probably become better though experience.