Skills and Materials
Knowledge & Competence
Material Choice
In line with the original material of the arm chair the material of choice for objects within this project is a printed velvet shimmer the 1950’s armchair and foot stool, while cotton satin was selected for the lamp shade. The velvet shimmer provides a level of softness and warmth during winter months and suited to both the time period and the style of the objects all the while maintaining a pleasing aesthetic and tactile response. This in conjunction with the cotton satin blend, which allows a limited amount of light to pass through creates a warm, inviting scene. All materials used in the creation of this project were sourced from “Contrado Au” a material printing company. This company utilises “eco inks” and actively works towards a more sustainable future through the implementation of strategies such as only producing materials when orders are placed, recycling material off cuts and producing orders to specific sizes. This companies values line up with not only my own moral ideals but also with the concept of the project. As a small, upcoming designer in a niche market, I look to support small businesses with the same ethos and therefore becoming a part of and supporting the small business market.
Object choice
The objects of choice include: a vintage 1950’s pink velvet arm chair, a lamp shade, and a vintage 1950’s foot stool to match. These objects were chosen with the purpose of creating an aesthetically appealing seating arrangement in a 1950’s style. Naturally a lamp shade cannot be complete without a stand and so the stand chosen was a 1950’ style brass stand to match the theme. This era is renowned for luxury, decadence, well made home furnishings and an abundance of waste, the concept of recycling objects from such a wasteful time period is oxymoronic and adds a poetic power to the piece.
Pattern Creation
As both a designer and an artist I enjoy the structure within the psychedelic chaos of marble dyed pieces and so out of both my artistic prowess and love for marble dying I selected one of my own prints to match. The print consists of 5 main colours: red, green, blue, pink, and white. These colours are all independently striking however, when combined with the harsh boarders opposing tones it forms a visually appealing print which invokes a visceral reaction from the viewer. The curves of the arm chair compliment the psychedelic print and enable it to warp and bend the form creating a sense of confusion and intriguing the viewer to inspect further. In order to create uniformity throughout the large surface area of the chair a repeat pattern was developed by scanning my own marble dyed sample piece.
Production of Material
As previously mentioned all materials were sourced from an Australian company called Contrado Au who are leading the way in sustainable material development in Australia. The company ensures that there is minimal off cuts and waste produced by the material and any off cuts are available for free to anyone wishing to make something out of them. This not only encourages the use of off cuts but it also encourages creativity in designers around the local area who have access to these various off cuts. In addition to this they also work with the Australian water board to ensure that all ink is safe and disposed of correctly. Finally, they only produce materials to order, never producing more than they have to and never keeping any material onsite unless it is required for a project.