Exploring Monoprint

I was inspired to experiment with the technique of mono printing after I found drawing on top of a Lino print was unsuccessful. I found Biro ink to be to soft, however obtaining a drawn image with printing ink, like when using mono print, is much stronger, making lines stand out much more. The mono print above was a direct tracing from one of my original drawings from the treasures in the Sutton Hoo hoard. I like how the print has turned out. I choose to print onto a already printed fabric as I was inspired by how the English Eccentrics layer up already printed fabrics with further prints. I like that mono printing has a hand drawn sketchy quality.

Above and below are the blots of the ink I took from the left over ink on the table after printing the fabric. I think its interesting to see the shapes and patterns left behind in the ink. I think the blots look like oxidised metals, taking on the appearance of how the finds from the Sutton Hoo hoard would have looked like after being underground for thousands of years.

Dolce&Gabbana S/S 2014

I was drawn to the digital prints in Dolce&Gabban's SS14 collection. The collections historical influences include historical architecture, and Greek mythology, much like the English Eccentrics. 

The round shapes of the jewellery remind me of the pendents found in the Sutton Hoo hoard,

 

Valentino SS14

There are many designers at the moment who are displaying collections on the catwalk which have clear historical sources of inspiration. Despite me focusing on interior patterns in my own work, I have been enjoying seeing how pattern is used in fashion. In particular, Valentino's SS14 is made up of many heavily printed and embroidered garments reflecting  ancient Egyptian patterns and shapes. In the last half of my project I looked at Valentino's AW13 collection for its references to the Tudor period.

Despite there being no inspiration taken from Anglo Saxon treasure, the collection is very folklore inspired, many of which the folklore riturals, storys and traditions in England dervie from the Anglo Saxons. I find the richness of colours in Valentino's SS14 collection very akin to that of the Anglo Saxons tresures.

 

Angol Saxon Attitude

I have browsed the internet for a while to find designers and artists who have used Anglo Saxon archaeology as direct inspiration, I have not come across much, although I did find this shoot for vogue UK December 1993:

"Anglo Saxon Attitude"

The shoot is grungy and dark, there are knitted patterns which remind me of the embossing on the Saxon treasures, but again there is no clear direct inspiration taken from the patterns in Anglo Saxon archeology.

Lino prints

I have been inspired by the English Eccentrics to experiment with block printing. They used wood block printing, however I have used lino as it is easier to cut intricate patterns into.

The print design is taken from one of the drawings I did of a gold belt buckle. I picked out key shapes I liked from the drawing:

 

 

I chose this particular fabric to print on as it reminded me of bark cloth...

a fabric used by tribal people across Asia, Africa and the Pacific islands. I wanted to include this information to link back to how Henry Moore was inspired by tribal historical references as was I inspired by the Maori tribe. I also think the lino print itself has turned out looking quite tribal.

 

A huge advantage of printing using a block printing method is that it allows rubbings to be made of the surface, which has meant I was able to explore how I wanted my pattern to repeat before physically inking it up and printing it. 

Working over the top of one of the rubbings in ink. I wanted to add greater detail to the potential print, reflect the amazing details on the Sutton Hoo treasures. The pattern I did ontop of the rubbings was again, like the print itself, taken from one of my original drawings.

 

Photoshop of the Lino rubbing I worked into above, showing how the design could potentially look if turned into a home furnishing fabric.

I have lino printed a second piece of fabric. I used one of the two lino blocks I used in the first print, but worked into it further, creating more scratches and areas of detail. I wanted to give the print more of a hand drawn quality, however I feel I should have scratched into it even further to achieve the effect I wanted.

I printed in a dark red to reflect the garnets in a shoulder clasp I draw from.

 Above I explored drawing into the lino using Biro, inspired the liner sketchy style of Henry Moore's prints, however, I don't think the Biro was a strong enough drawing medium compared against the bold ink of the lino print. I draw in blue and black Biro to see if one was stronger then the other, but they both looked faint against the lino print. I  used blue as I was inspired by the many intense colours of the gems in the Sutton Hoo treasures.

English Eccentrics Prints

The English Eccentrics are a group of print designers who became popular in the 1980's for their fun, creative hand printed garments. They to took inspiration from historical sources, with references to mythology, medieval England and renaissance influences. I have done quite a lot of previous research on the English Eccentrics in my contextual study, where I look at how artist and designers are influenced by historical references.

I'm attracted to how the English Eccetrics work. They transform paintings and drawings in their sketchbooks directly into prints for clothing and accessorize. I like how they work loose with a free approach to design and print, mixing different methods of print and layering images. There is a fabulous book called 'English Eccentrics: The Textile Designs of Helen Littman', in which photographs of the original sketchbook pages are seen alongside the finished print.

Some photocopy's of pages in the book:

 Spirit of the Forest

 The 'Spirit of the Forest' print behind the test in the image above reminds me of this print by Moore,

 They both have swirling patterns and layers of images

Spirit of the Forest, wood block print

Again a print from the 'Spirit of the Forest' series

 I'm interested in the 'Spirit of the Forest' series as it depicts scenes of pagan beliefs and mythology, similar beliefs to those the Anglo Saxons would have had. The Saxons beliefs can be seen on close inspection carved into treasures from the hoard.

Further examples of English Eccentrics prints with historical references, particularly to Greek mythology,

Peace of Women AW86

Mosaic scarf SS80

Hayleys comet SS86

I'm interested in experimenting with mixing print techniques inspired by the English Eccentrics. They often mix print techniques such as screen printing with block printing, giving different surface quality's to the fabric.

Henry Moore Printed Textiles

I have previously mentioned I want to concentrate on print for this part of the project. I feel with the shapes and appearances of the drawings I have been creating, it feels as though the print I will produce will be more suited towards interiors. Henry Moore is an artist who produced a popular range of prints during the 1950's. Not only is it relevant I look at his interior prints, as I aim at producing a print suited to interiors, but also Moore often sought out inspiration from historical sources, as I am doing.

 

 

 Moore was inspired by ancient tribal art from places such as Africa. The style of art he looked at reminds me of the Maori tribal artwork I researched in the last half of my project for my first outcome.

 

 I like how painterly and 'free' Moore's prints are. They are simplified yet still hold lots of details.