Degree Show 2016

Woman Defined

Flesh

The underlying layer of the body is the power house of muscle and nerves, this gives us strength and control in the same way as our personality and mind. The blood flows through the muscle feeding its growth, and the nervous system communicates the information needed to control movement and direction. This is demonstrated in the work through the use of the UV yarns. Shown in the spinal column and the muscle forms.

Bone

The structure of the body is determined through the architecture of the skeleton. The relationship between the corset and the skeleton is exemplified by the rib cage. The corset can be seen as a form of exoskeleton. The other determining factor in the female is the addition of the extra rib. This differential is also shown in the formation of the pelvis. In a woman this structure has to be wider and flexible to allow childbirth.

Skin

Skin looks at the marks left on the surface caused by the impact of underwear on the body. Every statement made about a person is left within that persons psyche, it leaves it's imprint in the same way as the item of clothing.

The knitted Screen

 The screen was developed from the inspiration of the corset. Then motorised to show the contortion and manipulation in forced by the undergarment on the female body.

Women Defined

The knitted screen was the statement piece of my degree show. It displayed images of everyday women that everyone can identify with. These are not high flyer's, celebrities, or the rich and famous. But women that you know, mothers, sisters, friends and wives. They have jobs and lives that define them but they define themselves. No longer are they corseted and hidden from view. Women today can speak out and make statements about who they are. Most important the have the choice to be who they want to be.

The video projected on the screen was accompanied by Musician and writer Heather Muir. Heather is an accomplished viola player and orchestra member, living in the North of Scotland.

Woman Defined

The accumulation of this project looking at the physical statement of how Women now define themselves.

Not through the imposed restrictions of clothes or subversion of society. But through her own evolution in her environment.

This work evolves from the ideas of construction within the corset, banding, stitching, boning. All relate to the structure of the body itself so through this language define the "Skin, Flesh and Bone", of a woman.

Developing designs from the stitched construction of the corset.

using this idea to make prints directly from the fabric

Taking this idea further to repeat the printed designs into knitted fabric.

Using the industrial knitting machine to encompass wooden lathes, this illustrates the boning within the corset.

Display boards showing the samples and colour pallet used.

Port folio of knitted samples.