Fabric As Structure And Form

In the contemporary context, existing changes are taking place between textiles and space.Textiles are forging new relationships with the build environment and the projects that result are striking showcases of the unique textures and tactility that fiber based forms can have. Textiles form an intrinsic ability to demarcate space, absorb sound and create decorative elements, but today they combine the poetics of art with the radical aesthetics of contemporary architecture.The beautiful structures that result often appear to transmute architectural space into art.

Having said this, the need breed of interior fabrics can no longer be described as just pretty patterns, they are high tech devices that transcend the decorative altogether.

By adjusting and re configuring the patterns and colour ways to suit individual settings, places can have a bespoke feel or be decorated at the flick of a switch. Textures too form an intrinsic aspect of the design but textile practitioners are less likely to rely on surface techniques to create it.

Weaving, embroideries, tapestries, fiber arts, carpet design that incorporates the textile art and more has undergone a resurrection over the past century as artists have pushed the boundaries of what can be considered a textile and textile as art. At the beginning of its long history, textiles were seen as a utility rather than something that serves no appreciable function apart from its philosophy of art. And while this is still the case today, idealistic creatives have helped the art continually revive itself.

Textiles in the 20th century have been used as a new lexicon with fabric and string as a medium which have provided almost infinite possibilities in modern and contemporary artistic practices. Feminist movement in 1960's and 1970's led to the reintroduction of textiles and fiber as 'High Art'.They have restored this domain to also include artistic practices that had traditionally been entrusted to the lower status of 'women's work'

Ever since the 1980's, textile arts have been developing new forms and language that involves many creatives who have come a long way. With the inception of the ideas by the post modernist artists ,textile and fiber work has become more and more conceptual. Artists are now experimenting with techniques, materials and concepts, completely pushing the limits of the medium. Embroidery art, weaving, quilting, crochet,knitting and many others have placed a new focus on the work that defied social and political issues such as gender feminism, dogmatism, women’s work, and identity crisis as reborn art practices. Yet, not all fiber artists are feminists or even concerned with the political and social connotations of fabric arts. They simply engage textiles and threads as a painting and sculpting material.

Discussing the above context with respect to my own explorations with textile as the medium in quest of capering around to explore the tactility, surface ornamentation and play of textile as its form.

The installation was inspired from the visuals captured while roaming around the city of Baroda, highlight the shanty areas where the contrast of colourful houses coincides with the clothes hanging from their balconies and how the architecture space around it resonates the patterns by bringing out the paradoxical imagery. The fabric for the installation has been meticulously worked with embroidery, patch work,painting to highlight the details and the form gradually developed into the idea of an open washroom, changing room which was then left for open ended interpretations.

The basic material comprised of the scrap fabrics collected over a period of time, bamboo sticks and wooden boxes along with an electric bulb.

The installation is titled as, 'Enigmatic Form'

Residence

The above artwork discusses to the similar context of juxtaposition of different patterns and images observed from everyday surroundings in shanty areas to how beautiful in terms of visual context it deals with.

Wounds

This was the experimentation with layering of fabric and dyeing, to bring about the torn apart look along with the patchwork which is aesthetic in appeal yet displeasing.

"Still life", as its named has been worked upon from different inspirations of the forms sewn together to highlight ambiguity as well as individual character.