Our Local, Our Global
Exploring how local craft techniques would have historically been separate and limited to specific locations because of borders etc. Want to explore how these can now be shared globally because of the internet. Boundaries between cultures are becoming more blurred in the digital age.
Authors
NG Chit
CAMIÑA Paula
JONES Jennifer
Description
Textile making has historically provided women with a means to build community, solidarity and connect with one another. But what relevance does such a time consuming, tactile focused practice have in a screen based culture? We wanted to explore how technology and local craft can, in fact, benefit from one another, proving that both can co-exist without hierarchy.
As three female artists from different countries, we have used digital modelling to combine individually designed patterns based on our local cultures, demonstrating how digital platforms can be utilised to connect and preserve these location specific techniques. One pattern draws upon architectural structures found in Hong Kong. Another is based on knitting techniques passed down between generations of the artist’s English family. Another is inspired by local fishing nets crafts from GalIcia, a region located in the Northwest of Spain, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean. These are then seen interweaved into one object as our 3D printed outcome. This process was intended to celebrate the sharing of knowledge that digital platforms enable, blurring borders and creating new meanings for textile based communal practice.
