Introduction!

Hello! Welcome to my new blog, documenting my work on the project 'Behind The Wall'. This is an arts commission programmed by Mirador. They describe themselves on their website as 'a company which celebrates and is inspired by people discovering how magical it is when arts, heritage and culture merge. Based in Lancashire, we are a highly experienced team that blends its expertise and know how to originate, research, develop and deliver fascinating and rewarding heritage projects that matter to communities'

Below is how Mirador describe the Behind The Wall project:

We are exploring and revealing the fascinating history and everyday world of the Standfast & Barracks site in Lancaster.2015 marked the 150th anniversary since the building was constructed, originally as a wagon works making carriages for royalty both in the UK and overseas, then used as an internment camp during World War One and now home to Standfast & Barracks, one of the country’s leading fabric printers creating stunning materials for clients across the world including top designers like Ralph Lauren and prestigious stores including Liberty’s of London.The thing which particularly inspired us about the Standfast & Barracks site is that there’s more than 150 years of history hidden behind a long stone wall which thousands of people drive past every day but don’t have a clue what goes on behind it….hence the project title, Behind The Wall.We have lined up some of the country’s most inventive and creative minds to bring the site’s hidden heritage to life in a programme of events scheduled for 2016 and 2017 – from acclaimed textile artists to historians, photographers and experts in the world of Minecraft and beyond.

More can be read on their site www.miradorarts.co.uk

As for my own part in the project? Below is an overview of my ideas, and why!

Clothing can be mundane; something that we wear because it is practical, it is what is currently on sale, or society has deemed suitable for us to wear for our role in life. It is one of my aims as an artist to open people’s eyes to the endless range of colour, texture, pattern and creative design that can be applied to the human form, and to create pieces that are a world away from today’s high street fashions.

There are two key areas that my piece for ‘Behind the Wall’ will explore. The first is to examine the extraordinary lengths that women went to in order stay at the height of fashion 150 years ago, at the time the factory's premises were first built. Fashion in this country has undergone a startling transformation in the intervening time, and my piece for 'Behind the Wall' will be an insight into women's clothing at that time.

The other key aim of my piece is to open a window onto the process of printing at Standfast and Barracks. I’m extremely interested in the many stages of fabric preparation before it is ready to be sold, cut and sewn. Having visited the factory, I was surprised at just how complicated and fascinating the machinery is. With this factory running both traditional and modern printing techniques, it feels almost like a working museum that documents historical industry, and I hope to capture this in my piece.

The Piece Itself

My outfit will be the shape and style of women’s fashion in 1865. This will include various layers and undergarments necessary to create the correct silhouette for the period. Each of these items shall be made to represent a different stage in the printing process at Standfast and Barracks, from storing the base cloth, to mixing paint and printing. The choice of fabric and print of each garment will correspond with each part of the process. More on how each part relates to the stages of printing shall be revealed as we go along!

This collection of garments shall be fitted to a model, and she shall be filmed travelling through the factory as she puts on each item in the area that has inspired its design. This will provide the viewer with a look at the extremely structured garments worn by a fashionable Victorian lady, whilst giving an insight into the complex process of transforming a blank base cloth into high quality print.

Though the dress shall be historic in its construction, it shall show off the magnificent range of prints available, and be a celebration of colour and pattern.

The film would be edited to correctly represent the time taken by the actress to complete the journey through the factory- if the corset takes a long time to lace up for example, then I think it is important to show this. This un-rushed progression shall allow time for the viewer to absorb themselves in the sounds and sights of the factory too. 

That seems like plenty of reading for now! Here's a photo from my first day of working on the piece- the beginnings of a crinoline. It's the first one I've ever made properly (aside from a simple hooped skirt once), so it's really exciting to have a go at it!