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University of Huddersfield   2008/2009

Laura Slater

I am a printed, embroidered and constructed textile craft/maker/designer and colourist. My aesthetic is derived from the embracing of domestic textile craft techniques, reinventing and reinterpreting them and their potential for contemporary textile solutions. Textiles innovating new textile ideas.

Since the completion of my MA in Mixed Media Textiles at The Royal College of Art, my lack of access to specialist textile facilities (e.g. screen printing and dying facilities) has resulted in the reliance upon found colour, embroidery and constructed ideas to inform my textile craft/maker designer ideas.

The AA2A residency will enable me to develop the following two project ideas:

“Putting Colour onto Cloth”

My practice is hugely based around the statement and interaction of colour and pattern. I aim to realise my new printed textile, colour and pattern ideas, working on white ground cloths to solely produce hand created colour and pattern. I want to interact and build on my knowledge of colour that I have used, how it is made, and how to reproduce it.

“Digital Embroideries”

Utilising my previous embroidery work, I want to experiment with digitally printing my embroidered and constructed textiles onto fabric. Taking my 3D and 2D embroideries and constructs and translating them into digital images on cloth. I feel realising this particular idea will add to the development of my overall aesthetic.

These projects will aid the development of technological textile skills, allowing me to refine the finish of my printed textiles through colour, print and dye techniques and develop the presence of digitally printed textiles in my portfolio.

The AA2A residency will not only allow me to realise my ideas but in turn expand and develop the printed textile element of my practice, portfolio and production for sale. It will also allow me the opportunity to expand my experience in an educational environment developing my workshop and interaction skills with students and academic staff, helping to forward my teaching skills for part time teaching applications.