Expo Expression Sonere "Tubular Bells"

I have the concept design for the piece for the 2012 Fils et metier Expo in France. It's called "Tubular Bells" as the expo theme is "Expressions of Sound".
The concept is of an array of fabric, tubular bells incorporating electro-luminescent wire, suspended in an ascending scale array. The array will react to external sounds by emitting light depending on pitch and volume, giving a sound-to-light effect. It's a great opportunity to work in mixed materials and 3D sculpture which is commonly a feature of this particular exhibition; the interactive materials will, I hope, be a first!!

The main design feature will, of course, be the woven tubes. Colour....COLOUR .... MORE COLOUR!!! I will weave a series of different length tubes in double-weave with randomly irridescent-dyed silk warp and a weft dyed on hanks which are wound to match the tube length - that will enable me to control the way the weft colour pattern develops.
The electro-luminescent wire will be would into each tube.

I need to get the silk yarn and the dyes when I go to the UK next week, so I can get cracking when I return at the end of the month......
Meantime it's onto detailed design and choosing the weave structures.

Khumba Puja - Mounted

KHUMBA PUJA


All the panels are now complete. They have been mounted on the contoured wire-mesh substrate and I have now mounted that in the wooden frame. You can just make out the Puja flagpole protruding from the lower wooden frame - it just remains to make the silkflags and attach all them on their lines.

The lighting on this has to be precise to make the most of the light/shadow for the contours and textures on the cloth and I also want their to be movement in the flags. So I have designed its own lighting to provide light and air movement; the flags and lines will be extremely fine so they move in the air currents.

2012 Fils et Metier Expo at Varaignes, Dordogne.

At Last! the theme for the 2012 textile artists Expo at Varaignes is out....its "Expression Sonores" which means "Expressions of Sound". What a result! Interpreting music through my weaving designs was my main drive for all my recent pieces and, in particular, the two pieces I did based around the 2 songs were titled Mayan Music; the one expressing a drum sound, subtitled "Drums" and the other I subtitled "Ocarina" as it evoked a more trill, higher pitched sound....so i will definitely exhibit that pair.

I also have a piece planned which is a hanging sculpture of different length woven tubes which are formed into a wind chime. So i am going to work on that for a while and weave it specifically for the expo...how exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Khumba Puja - Mounting Finished Panels

I have finished most of the panels and started mounting them; this is far from finished but I wanted to get this stage documented

This has been a real challenge....as each piece on the loom is just one piece in the jigsaw, it has been difficult to focus on the detail within each piece AND keep the continuity to the adjacent pieces in my head at the same time. Its 1.3m wide and, in the flesh, the glacier/ice fall really stands out from the mountain.

The panels: woven individually on the loom, each is 20cm wide and different lengths - 2 or 3 make up each vertical panel. The are woven on 4 shafts on an asymetric twill threading. I have chosen a fringed edge as I want each panel to remain seperate in appearance when mounted. The treadling is varied to produce diffferent textures throughout the piece but its predominantly a twill/basket weave. The yarn is wool (DK) and I have woven-in, carded, unspun wool fibres to produce the tapestry and textures I need. All the colours are from the natural colour of different breeds of sheep, and the white is a beautiful ultra-fine alpaca. By slight variations in the treadling (being able to change the face of the weaving on the computer is a great flexibility for this), the fibres are woven in tight or very loose to produce the varying textures and fluffiness.There are 16 panels and they are mounted on a wire mesh which has been moulded to produce the contoured backdrop. Each panel has been sewn onto the mesh.

The Mounting
The panels are mounted on a wire mesh which has been shaped to provide a countour appearance as each panel is sewn onto the mesh - the photo has flattened this, but the whole piece varies by over 50mm in height and this accentuates the effect of the cliffs and the 'flow' of the glacier down the mountain.

From here on........
Once mounted it will be held within a frame and the foreground part (the pole and Puja ceremony flags) can be added.....way to go!