Woven Within the Surface: interconnected explorations of fine ...Within the Surface is an interdisciplinary collaborative research project led by contemporary painter Geoff Diego Litherland,

LITHERLAND&MCLAREN

©2017TheAuthors.PublishedbyLoughboroughUniversity.ThisisanopenaccessarticleundertheCCBY-NClicense(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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WovenWithintheSurface:interconnectedexplorationsoffineartlinencanvasproduction

GeoffreyDiegoLitherland1&AngharadMcLaren1

1. NottinghamTrentUniversity,UK

ThisitemwassubmittedtotheproceedingsoftheLoughboroughUniversityTextileDesignResearchGroupINTERSECTIONSConference2017byGeoffreyDiegoLitherland.Citation:Litherland,G.D.&McLaren,A.(2017)WovenWithintheSurface:interconnectedexplorationsoffineartlinencanvasproduction.InProceedingsofIntersections:CollaborationsinTextileDesignResearchConference,13September2017,LoughboroughUniversityLondon,U.K.Availablefromwww.lboro.ac.uk/textile-research/intersections.AdditionalInformation:Publisher:LoughboroughUniversity(©TheAuthors)Rights:ThisworkismadeavailableaccordingtotheconditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution4.0International(CCBY-NC4.0)licence.Fulldetailsofthislicenceareavailableat:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/PLEASECITETHEPUBLISHEDVERSION.

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Abstract:Forcenturies,linencanvashasbeenthepreferredfabricsupportforpainters.Whiletherearehistorical examples of decoratively woven canvasses, the aesthetic relationship between canvas andpainting has rarely been explored. Previously a cottage industry in theUK, production of linen is nowmechanisedonanindustrialscale.Lostskillsrequiredtoprocessthefibrearebeingre-contextualisedbydesigners and craftspeople for the sustainability value of slow, local production methods. Similarprinciples are evident in thework of contemporary artists exploring ecological themes throughuse ofnature as raw material. This paper describes the early stages of Woven Within the Surface, acollaborative interdisciplinary project to grow and weave patterned linen canvas, exploringinterconnected aesthetic, ecological, andmaterial-led concepts in textile design and fine art contexts.Discussionwillfocusonthebenefitsofcollaboratingacrossdisciplinesinrelationtodevelopmentofnewknowledgeandunderstanding,skills,andcreativeoutcomes.Keywords:linen;weave;painting;collaboration;interconnectivity

Figure1.GeoffDiegoLitherlandandAngharadMcLarenpreparingtheland

Source:Repton,2017

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IntroductionWithintheSurfaceisaninterdisciplinarycollaborativeresearchprojectledbycontemporarypainterGeoffDiegoLitherland,inwhichtheartistaimsto,incollaborationwithothers,makeallthematerialsnecessarytocreateanoriginalbodyofwork(paintings) locallyusingnaturalsourcesfromtheimmediatelocality–Wirksworth in Derbyshire (UK). This includes preparing the land for sowing flax seeds (fig.1); growing,nurturing, harvesting, and processing flax fibres to produce hand-spun linen yarn; hand-weaving linencanvas; creating natural primers and paints from local plant, animal andmineral resources; and finallypaintingonthewovensurfaces.Thedesignofthewovencanvasandthesubjectofthefinalpaintingsonthesurfaceofitwillemergeaspartofthecollaborativeprocess,influencedbybackgroundresearchintopattern and meaning, and the practical processes involved in producing the materials in a particularlocation.Theaimistocreatefinishedobjectsthatholdmeaningbeyondtheirphysicalpresence,imbuedbyasenseofhumancollaborativecraft,timeandplace.Currentlywork-in-progress(dueforcompletioninAugust2018),theprojectobjectivesinclude:• Investigateinterdisciplinaryopportunitiesbetweentextilesandfineart,e.g.inwhatwaycanacraftled

approachtomakinglinencanvasaddsignificancetothefabric?Canconceptsofinterconnectivitybearticulatedinawovencontemporarytextilewithininafineartcontext?

• Explorecollaborationthroughparticipationinaspecificlocation;and• Developanon-goingiterative,collaborativeapproachtothedesignandproductionofpatternedwoven

linencanvas.In response to the conference themes, this paper will focus on the collaboration between authorsLitherlandandweavedesignerAngharadMcLarentogrowandweavepatternedlinencanvas,whichwillbeusedasthefabricsupportfortheresultingpaintings.Firstwewill introducethecollaborators’backgroundstoexplainsharedmotivationsaspractitionersandacademicsinexploringinterconnectedaesthetic,ecologicalandmaterial-ledconceptsintextiledesignandfineartcontexts.Thematerial(linen),itsbackgroundinafineartpaintingcontext,andrelevantexamplesofpatternsandtheirmeaningsinhistoricalandcontemporarytextileswillthenbedescribed,followedbyexamples of contemporary craft-based approaches to sustainable material production and ecologicalnotions of materiality in art to contextualise the interdisciplinary conceptual direction. Collaborativeresearch activities, currently at various stages of work-in-progress, will then be described and initialinsightsdiscussedtodrawconclusionsonthebenefitsofcollaboratingacrossdisciplinesinrelationtothedevelopmentofnewknowledgeandunderstanding,skills,andcreativeoutcomes.WithinTheSurface:collaboratorsLitherlandexplorestherelationshipbetweencultureandnatureinhiswork,throughsubject,materiality(thequalityofbeingcomposedofmatter)andtheprocessesinvolvedinpainting.Thesubjectofhisworkisa collision between pre 20th century romantic paintings and 21st century images of the universe. Theprocessofpainting is instrumental indepicting thecollision,as thematerials (linen,gessoandoilpaint)andtechnique(underpainting,glazesandwashes)oftraditionaloilpaintingareusedtoexplorewaysofperceivinglandscapeinitshistoricalentiretyandthusinastateoffluxratherthanafixedtemporalview.Thisuniqueassemblyofmaterialsandtechniquesnotonly referenceshistoricalworks,butalsoexploitsthe process of painting itself (layers, washes, splashes, etc.) in exploring the connection and meaningbehindcollidingdisparateimagery.Thelandscapeis paintedasif it is emergingfromcosmicandpainterlymatter ordissolvingback into it:hovering betweenabstractionandfiguration, liquidandsolid.Eachnewseriesseekstoinvestigatedifferentparametersofhowpaintcanseemtodepictelementsofthelandscapeinatraditionalwaybutoncloseinspectiondisintegratetoexposetheminutematterofpainting.

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Linen canvasplaysan important role in thework, chosenashispreferred supportdue to its lineage topaintings’history,whichtie inwithelementsof18thcentury landscapepaintingsoftenreferenced inhiswork(fig.2)anditscongruousrelationshipwiththematerialsofoilpainting,as linenandlinseedoil(thepreferredbindingagent inoilpainting)comefromthesameplant, flax.HisCentralandSouthAmericanheritageandupbringinghavealsocultivatedinhimafascinationforsymmetricalandgeometricpatternsintextiletraditions.McLaren’sresearchinterestscentreonsustainabilityinrelationtotextiledesignproduction,consumptionandwaste(seeforexample:McLarenetal2016;McLaren&Mclauchlan,2015).On-goingenquiries intoheritage craft skills, cultural heritage, and community wellbeing are also explored; often throughparticipatory craft approaches such as collaborativeweaving activities to facilitate knowledge exchangeandshareddevelopmentofcreativeoutcomes.WeaveParkhead(2015),forexample,wasacollaborationbetweenschools,communitygroups,weavers,textile designers and archaeologists to create a series of four textile panels celebrating the heritage ofParkhead,anareawithsignificanttextile,politicalandindustrialheritageinGlasgow’sEastEnd.Duringthisa series of community workshops and events, combining weaving, creative craft skills and historicalresearchexploredandrevealedthespiritofParkhead–thestories,peopleandplacesthatmakeitunique(WeaveParkhead,2015).Theconversationshadduringthesesessionsinformedandinspiredthedesignofthe textiles. Radical Parkhead, a resulting hand-woven panel (fig.3) celebrated the radical, progressivepoliticsofParkhead’spastusingcolours,materialsandweavestructurestovisuallyrepresenttheresearchfindings.Otherpreviouspraxishasexplored traditionalweavepatterns,practices, cultureandmeaning,includingresearchintoMayanback-strapweaving,textiles,andcultureinCentralAmerica.The project brings together both collaborators’ methodological approaches and interests in place,materials, processes, and textile patterns and meanings, in particular those of Amerindian cultures. Itoffers the chance to explore ideas of craft and collaboration, investigating interconnected ideas ofsustainability,heritage,andtextileproduction,andfacilitatingthedevelopmentofaninterdisciplinarywayofworking.

Figure2.AFieldinEnglandoiloncanvas,90cmx110cm

Source:GeoffDiegoLitherland,2015

Figure3.Paneldetail(WeaveParkheadproject)

Source:AngharadMcLaren,2016

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WovenLinenCanvasLinen fibre comes froma specific varietyof flaxplantLinumusitatissimum (Buchanen,1995). SeedsaresowninAprilandtheplantsmatureinAugust,neartheendofthisprocesstheplantdisplaysthefleetingand ubiquitous pale blue flowers before the seed heads emerge. For fabric production the plants arepulledupfromthefieldtoobtainthemaximumamountoffibre.Theplantsarelaidoutandleftinthefieldforseveralweeksto‘ret’,aprocessthatallowsnaturalelementstoloosenthewoodycoreofthestemsotheouterbarkcanbepeeledaway.Itisthende-seededby‘rippling’,wherethetopendsofthedriedflaxarepulledthroughnailshammeredintoaboardlikeabigcomb(theseedswillbeusedtomakelinseedoil). The flax is then taken through a ‘breaking’ process that breaks the innerwoody stalk into smallerpieces thus separating it from the flax fibres. Any ‘shives’ (small broken woody stalk fragments) stillattached to the flax canbe ‘scutched’ out by scraping the fibreswith a scutching knife. ‘Hackling’ theninvolvespulling the fibres throughmetal combs tobe leftwith longand smooth fibres ready for finallyspinningintoayarnthatcanbeusedtoweave(Lutton2007).Flaxwas traditionally grown in Ireland, Scotland andN. England, then across to thenorthern Europeanplain, including N. France, Flanders, Germany, the Baltic countries and Russia. There have been someinteresting historic accounts of flax productionprior to the industrial revolution inDerbyshire (Bunting,1996), where this project is located. These accounts detail the cottage industry production processesundertakenbymanyhouseholdstoproducepersonalsuppliesofyarnssufficientforhand-weavingallthelinenneededforclothinganddomesticuses.Thismanufacturingwasinessenceeconomicallyinvisibleasscalesofproductionweresmall,yetstillrequiredcollaborationofskilledcraftspeople–farmers,spinners,dyers,andweavers -acrosscommunities.Theadventof industrialisationandcheap importedcottonbythemiddleofthe18thcenturysoonmadethetimeconsumingprocessofproducinglinenforpersonalusea thing of the past in this country, and hence the skills were lost (ibid). These lost skills are being re-contextualised by designers and crafts people for the sustainability value of slow, local productionmethods,exploredlaterinmoredetail(see‘Craft-basedapproaches).Productionof linen isnow largelymechanisedonan industrialscale.Themostsoughtafter isEuropeanlinen, which is largely grown and processed in northern France and Belgium (Millot, 2017). Due to itsstrength,sustainabilitycredentials,andpotentialmyriadofusesitisincreasinglybeingseenasaprestigefibrethatcanbeprocessedtocreatehighendfabricsforthefashionindustryorbecombinedwithothermaterials to create strong and durable hybrid products, ranging from furniture to tennis rackets (ibid).Sincethesixteenthcenturylinencanvashasbeenthepreferredfabricsupportforoilpainters,duetoitsdurabilityandtightnessofweave.Priortothis,paintersworkedonwalls(frescos)oronwoodenpanels,butduringtheVenetianRenaissancepaintersstruggledwiththedampclimateoftheircityandsoughtalighter more stable material and support to work on (Blake, 2006). Properly prepared linen was thesolution, revolutionising oil painting by allowing artists toworkmuch larger in scale, and in time evendirectlyoutside(ibid).Theuniquequalitiesoflinenfibresareparticularlysuitedtoartists’canvasses–theyareroundandgivethefabricanirregulartexture,creatinganindiscriminateandnaturalsurfacetoworkon.Thefibresretaintheirnaturaloils,whichhelppreservetheirnaturalflexibility(Carbonnel,1980).Thefibresarealsomuchlongerthancottonorhemp,makingitamuchmoreflexibleandstablefabric,allowingittobebothtightlystretchedandalsolesssusceptibletosagovertime.Theresultingtextile,traditionallywoveninaplainweavestructurewithevenlybalancedwarpandweft,istightandstrong.Somehistoricalexamplesofpaintersworkingonpatternedlinencanvasratherthanthecustomaryplainweavehavebeendiscovered.Mostnotably, theearlypaintingsof renowned17th centurySpanishartistDiegoVelazquez,whosometimesusedornately,patterned linentextilesknownasmantelillosascanvas(fig.4) (Zuccari et al, 2005). These consistedof a compositepoint twill-weave fabric, unbalanceddue tohaving a denser weft than warp. Used for special commissions, these were wider than ordinary plainweave canvasses allowing the artist to have less connecting seams in a larger painting. Other Spanishartistsofthistime,includingElGreco,alsousedmantellilostopainton(fig.5)(ibid).

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However,thevisualqualitiesofthesemantelillocanvasesdidn’tplayapartinthefinishedaestheticofthework due to thick priming and paint coverage (Pacheco, 1649) and were only discovered duringconservationandresearchusingx-raytechnology(Zuccarietal,2005).The possibilities of a figurative or aesthetic relationship between canvas and painting have rarely beenexplored in a woven fabric. A collaboration that seeks to investigate this, inspired by Zuccari et al, isbetween weaver Helena Loermans and art historian and painter Marta Pokojowczyk (Loermans et al,2017).Since2014Loermanshasbeenhandweavingexactrecreationsofpatternedmantelillocanvasses(fig.6),onwhichPokojowczykthenpaints(fig.7).Intheseworksmostofthepatternedcanvasisleftbarewith thick abstract impasto gestures in the centre of them, deliberately allowing the viewer to see theintricaciesofthedecorativetextilesandcelebratetheirheritage.

Figure6.HelenaLoermansrecreationofVelazquez’smanetelillocanvas.

Source:Loermansetal,2017

Figure7.'Constellations',59x52cm,MartaPokojowczyk

Source:Loermansetal,2017

Figure4.Velazquez’sStJohnintheWilderness,Diagramofthecanvasweave

Source:Zuccarietal,2005

Figure5.ElGreco’sBurialoftheCountofOrgaz,Diagramofthecanvasweave

Source:Thais,2012

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Textiles,pattern&meaningThepatternsonthehistoricmantellilocanvassesarelargedamaskdiamondtyperepeats,patternsthatatthetimewouldhavebeeninspiredbybotheasternandIslamictraditions(Thais,2012),anexampleofhowculturalmeaningcanbeembedded in textilepatterns–awell-establishednotion in culturaland textiletheory.Decoration in textiles canbe seenas transformative, their visual and tactilequalitiesplayinganimportantroleinsensoryperception,socialfunction,andourunderstandingoftheworld(Igoe,2010):

I begin to seewhatdecoration is for. It completes. It bringsbuildings, objects and artefacts tocompletion in and for perception, by making them easier to see, more finished, more easilyfocussedupon.Itcompletesinandforsocialusebymakingthemintosignsandsymbolsforourendeavoursandbeliefs.Itcompletesinandforpleasurebyinvitingtheeyetodwellandthehandto caress. It completes in and for thought by making objects memorable. Decoration, bycompletingourworld,completesthosewholiveinit....(Brett,2005:264;quotedinIgoe,2010)

ThewovengeometricpatternedfabricsofAmerindiancultures,asourceofinspirationbothauthorsdrawfrom, often embody fractals and naturally reoccurring patterns and forms derived or abstracted fromnature (Williams, 2014) that embody deep cultural meanings. Lois Martin (2006) expands on theseconceptsinherstudyofTheParacasTextile(fig.8),forexample–arotationallysymmetrical,four-selvedgesingleback-strapwovenwebwithanornateborderofrhythmicembroideredcharactersthatappearstohaveplayedanimportantroleinsociety:

… its seamless form embodies principles of duality and reflection that echo deeply resonantAndeanwaysoforganizingspaceandmarkingtime…[it]couldhaveoperatedasasolarcalendar,a timingmechanismtohelpritualspecialistsscheduleactivitiesalongthesacredpaths (Martin,2006).

InthecosmologyofAndeancivilisationstimeandspaceareintertwiningideas,wherethepresentmomentispermeatedbythepastandtheunderworld.Textilesheldsuchasanimportanceinthattheywerenotonlyasymbolicrepresentationofthisbutalsoatangibleone,inessencetheyfunctionedasthestructuringstructureofstructures(Allen2002a:236,quotingBordieu).Beyondnarrativecontent,textilesoftenexpressdeep-seated, profound glimpses of cultural worldviews and beliefs: Sometimes in their very layout orconception,textilesalsoservedasactualembodimentofthewaymakersseetheworld-aswhatIthinkofcosmologicalmaps…(Gordon,2013)

Figure8.ParacanasTextileSource:Martin,2006.

Figure9.FabricofSpaceTimeSource:Waldron,2014.

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ContemporaryweaverHannahWaldronexplorestheseideasinherFabricofSpace-Timecollection(fig.9):,which she describes as …tactile models and tangible representations of the ideas we humans haveproposedabouttheinterconnectivityoftheforcesintheuniverse(Waldron,2014).Withinthesefabricsavisual interpretation of Einstein’s theory of relativity is brought togetherwith the ancient double-clothAndean weaving tradition, where two layers are inter-woven to create two faces to a cloth. To theAndeansdouble-clothsweredeeplysymbolicandrepresentedtheirontologicalbeliefs,wherefabricshavean inherent symbolic understandingof space, timeand interrelationship tonature:Andean logic is nonlinealandbasedontheinterconnectionofallelementsoftheuniverse(Crickmay,1992).Giventheconceptualdepthandmeaningevidentinthesetextile-ledapproachestopatternandmaterialconstruction, it couldbe seenas somewhatwasteful that inpaintings thecanvas is typically completelyhiddenfromviewduetobeingprimed,paintedandframed,withtheintricaciesofthewovenprocesslostfromview.InanalysingtherelationshipbetweenBauhauspaintingandweavingtheories,arthistorianT’aiSmithdescribeshowpaintingdelineates formon the surfaceof a canvas– the forgotten, orneglected,structuralground–thuscreatinga layerofdistancebetweenthestructuralsupportandtheartists’ idea(Smith,2014:4),comparedtointegralrolethatthewovensurfaceplaysincreatingvisualformintapestryweaving,wherethedesignandsurfaceareoneandthesame–theyaremadefromthesamematerialandprocess (ibid).This reveals that thevisualaestheticofawoven fabric isnot imposedonthesurfacebutformedwithinthestructureitselfbytheprocessofitscreation,andthereforehasthepotentialtoembedbothaestheticandconceptualmeaningrelatingtomaterialandproductionwithinthesurface.Initial ideas for theproject haveevolved from this conceptual startingpoint; the collaboration allowingbothartistanddesignertoinvestigatehowcontemporarywovenlinencanvascanbeimbuedwithvisualand conceptualmeaning through integration ofwoven pattern and surface structure, such as found inAmerindian textiles. These artefacts and ideologies explored and portrayed different understandings ofinterconnectivitytothenaturalandspiritualworldtocontemporaryWesternsociety,whichareechoedinLitherland’shauntoligical(Morton,2011)paintingswherebyaparticularplace isrepresentedatdifferenttimesinspaceconcurrently.Thustheyprovidearelevantgroundingforvisuallyinvestigatingtheaestheticrelationshipbetweencanvasandpaintingfrombothatextiledesignandfineartperspective.Inadditiontothis,theoriginofthefibrewillalsohaveanimportantnarrativeandconceptualroletoplay.Craft-basedapproachesTherehasrecentlybeenarenewedinterestinlinenfibreanditsprocessesofproductionmainlythroughacraft-basedapproachtosustainablematerialproduction.ExamplesoftheseareFaithKane’sresearchintoproducinglocalflaxfibrecomposites,andJenniferGreen’sSpinMesomeFlaxproject,whichbothexplorethemesrootedinpracticesofsustainability,localityandhandcraftedskills.FaithKane(2016)hasexploredflaxfibrecompositesusingflaxcultivatedlocallyinLeicestershireandpoly-lacticacid (PLA) (fig.10),which isbio-degradable, todevelopsustainablenonwovencompositematerialsand explore their design potential via structural and decorative surface patterning processes. LocalityplayedanimportantroleinKane’swork;KateFletcher(2008)outlinesthatasocietythatislocallyrootedreflectstheideas,skills,andresourceofalocalplaceaswellasanaestheticagendathatgrowsupwards,imbuing a strong cultural and aesthetic uniqueness and connectedness, qualities verymuch present inKane’scompositematerials(Fig.10).FletcherthendrawsattentiontoMcDonoughandBraungart’s(2002)claimthatthe‘best’productsarethosewithahumanandmaterialengagementwithplace.Kanedevelopsthisasbeingintrinsicallyrealisedthrougha‘craftapproach’,whichemphasises:personalinteractionwithmaterialsandprocesses;therecognitionofmakingasafundamentalmethodwithinthework;valuingtheintimateknowledgeofmaterials,toolsandprocessesgainedthroughpracticalinteraction;andconsideringendapplications(Kane,2015).

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CanadianborntextiledesignerJenniferGreenalsotakesthisapproachinherproject.Between2007and2010 she worked with a local community in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada to resurrect thetraditions of flax cultivation and processingwhichwere so important to the economy and culture twohundredyearsago.Theendproductofthisprojectwasaseriesoflocallymadehandspunlinenthreads(fig.11)followinghistoricalprocesses(Green,2014).ShequotesFletcherinrelationtoherproject:

Materials play a vital role in the local agenda. They tangibly link a product with a region, plantspeciesoranimalbreedandbegin inasmallwaytocounteracttheabstract ‘ flowofgoods’thatdominatesglobalizedproductionsystems(FletcherandGrose2012:107).

ForGreenit’sabouttakingownershipandcontrolofthematerialsandbeingdiscerningwiththechoiceofwhatandhow it isproduced.Considerationof thesocialandcultural significance is taken intoaccount,whichalongsideproductionembodiesanideologyofsustainabilityledvalues.

Kane andGreenalso explore the relationshipbetween craft and locality in theirwork. Kane referencesHelenRees(1997:120)whosuggeststhattheattractivenessofcraft lies in itsexplicit identificationwithvaluesofsocialcontinuityandpersonalcreativity.This isperhaps facilitated inpart,asRees (1997122-123)alludes,bythetransparencyofthecraftobject’sorigination.KanecontinuestosaythatCraftobjectsare also, as Risatti points out, culturally distinctive in terms of place and time of origination. Thussuggestingthatacraftapproachtomaterialsdesignmayengenderasenseofplace intheobjectwithinwhichtheyareapplied(Kaneetal,2012).PertinentlyGreenpointsoutthathandcraftedskillsemployedbythedesigneraswellasbeinganentrypointintotheprocessofmaking,offerthedesignervisualandtactilestimulationtoexplorethefullpotentialofmaterialproductionthroughinnovativemethods(Green,2014).These examples articulate concepts of place, production and sustainability that will be embodied andexploredbytheauthorsthroughtheresearch.By learningandengagingwithcraft-basedprocessesthatarepurposefullypre-industrial,slowandlaborious,weintendtoentwineourownpersonalnarrativesofprocessandexplore the combinationofdistinctpracticebasedapproachesandexpertise. The resultingexchanges,experiencesandobservationswillinturninfluenceandaffectthedesignandweavingprocessastheprojectunfolds.Theauthorsbelievethatcontextualstimulationinrelationtolocalityisalsoofferedintheseprocessesasthe time spent in producing these materials, often outside, through time consuming hand craftedprocesses,allowsforreflection,communication,andunderstanding.Weaimtoembedlayersofmeaningfrompersonalexperience,ideasofsustainability,locality,andcraftproductionwithinthematerialobject.

Figure10.Flaxfibre+PLAcompositeSource:Kane,2015

Figure11.HandspunLinenThreadSource:Green,2014

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NatureasrawmaterialinContemporaryFineArtIn relation to contemporary fine art objects, artists have also explored the materials that they use inrelation to themes of locality, sustainability and engagementwith their natural environment. Examplesthatwe’llfocusonincludetheworkofJohnNewling,anartistandcollaboratoronpreviousprojectswithLitherland,andthatofSigridHolmwood,whoseworkhasclearresonancestothisproject.Newling’swork is often the time spent fostering and growingnaturalmaterials andhis experience andobservationsofthisprocess.Thiscomplexexchangeofvaluesandmeaningisembeddedintheobjectoftheartworkitself,whetherthisisavineyardofpinotnoirgrapes,hydroponicallygrowninachurch(fig.12)oralemontreeplantedinsoilmadefromcompostingtheartist’sownpublications(2010).TheworksareoutcomesofthisengagementandNewlinghasdevelopedforhimselfapracticeandspacetoexploreandrenewthesenotions.Newlingisinterestedintheideaslowingthingsdown,ofexperiencingthesubtleseasonalshiftsofnature’srhythms.ThemonographthataccompaniedNewling’ssoloexhibitionatNC,writesabouttheeffectandimportancethattheChathamVine’sprojecthadonNewling:

Forthefirsttime,heencounteredthenaturalworldonitsownterms,asa livingentity,aspaceofchanceanduncertainty.Itwasnotsomethingthatshouldbecontrolledormanipulated,butrequiredrespectandattentiveness(Davey,2013).

ForChathamVinestherewasalargeteamandalotoftechnologyinvolvedtoallowthismiracleharvesttohappen. In subsequent projects, like the Clearing (2009) and the Lemon Tree, Newling sought amoresimple, direct and personal involvement in nurturing plant life as his artistic material of production.Ultimately,Daveywrites:

Newlingseekstoinspireustoseethenaturalworldasaseriesofeveryday–andyetremarkable-reliquaries that can bring us into the presence of otherness, a clearing leading us to discovereternitywithintheconfinesofthisphysicallife(ibid).

Figure12.ChathamVinesSource:Newling,2006

Figure13.Threewomenworkingwool,Mushroompigmentmadefrombloodred

webcaps(cortinariussanguineus),plantpigmentmadefromyarrow(achilleamillefolium),chalk,chromeyellow,redlead,woad,redearthandzincwhiteboundineggonhandwovenlinen,

112.3x152.5cm.Source:Holmwood,2016

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Another approach to natural materials embodying meaning in contemporary fine art can be found inHolmwoods‘PeasantPaintings’(fig.13)(2016).Shegrowsplantstomakeherownpigments,andembodiesthesubjectofherwork‘ThePeasantPainter’throughperformance.Theworkfocusesonhowhandmadematerialsandthelabourprocesscancounteracttheisolationofindustrialisedsociety.(Holmwood,2016)The notion of the peasant is explored politically through highlighting the denigration of the peasant asbackwardanduncivilised,orasasymbolthatcanberomanticisedtosomeidealisedpast.HolmwoodalsodrawsfromAmerindianontologies,specificallythatnatureisnotseparatefromcultureandthebeliefthatalongsidehumans, all substancese.g. plant,mineral, andanimal, haveperspectives that should alsoberespected.Thepeasantsintheworkandherperformanceofthese,becomemorethananarrativepictorialsymbolasthewholeworkshavebeencreatedthroughthisideology.These notions of interconnectivity between humans and nature have been the contextual point ofreferencewithinLitherland’sworkforsometime.Mostlyexploredthroughhissubjects;landscape,nature,the sublime,perceptionsof spaceand the cosmosandhispainting techniqueof slowlybuilding imagesfrom thinly painted often abstract and loosewashes. Drawing on ideas fromNewling andHolmwoods’practice,wherethereisagreaterengagementwiththematerialstheyusetocreateanartwork,Litherlandseekstoimbueadeeperknowledgeandunderstandingwithintheprocessandmaterialvaluesoftheartobjectitselfthroughthiscollaborativeproject,anunderstandingthatexploresthepositionoftheartistinrelationtotheirenvironment.MethodologyThiscollaborationbetweenartistanddesignerisadevelopmentofLitherland’sinvolvementandworkintheprojectandexhibitionCloselyHeldSecrets(Townsend,2016),anenquirythatexploredthedialoguesbetweenmethodologiesincontemporarycraft,fineartanddigitalembroidery.CHShadaparticularfocusontheoftenhiddendialoguesandrelationshipbetweenanartist/designerandtechnician,andhowthesediscourses advanced and challenged digital craft practice; of particular relevance toWovenWithin theSurfaceishoworiginaloutcomesareproducedbytheprocessofcollaborationasmuchastheinitialvisionoftheoutcome.Litherlandhadnopriorknowledgeofthedigitalembroideryprocessandwasoneoftheartistsmostopentoexperimentationandnewpossibilitieswiththetechniques.Likewise,LitherlandhasnopriorknowledgeorexperienceoftheweaveprocessthusisveryopentoMcLaren’sinputsandideas.AssuchthemethodologyofWithintheSurfaceisnotdissimilartoCloselyHeldSecretsinthatitwillbeareflective, practice-led ‘research through Art and Design’ approach. The iterative process will bedocumented througha rangeof approaches including,photographic and videodocumentationof everyelement and process of the project, written reflection, interviews with collaborators and, mostimportantly,alongsidefinishedartworks,aseriesofunfinishedartefactsthatdeconstructthecreativeandcraftprocessesinvolvedintheproject.Althoughtheoutcomesareverymuchpre-defined,linencanvastopainton,theformoftheseisverymuchopentoexperimentationandeachnewiterationwillbecarefullydocumentedanddiscussed.

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ResearchActivities:GrowingflaxAsmallcrop,25msqisbeinggrownusingpre-industrialtechniquestosow,harvestandprocessthefibre(fig.14)onaplotofsecludedfarmlandinWirksworthDerbyshire.Sowninspring2017bytheauthors,thecropwillbeharvestedafteraboutthreemonths(August2017).For initial hands on, practical advice about growing and processing flax, contact was made withCordwainersGrow:aHackneybasedCommunityInterestCompanywhoundertooktheFlaxProject(2015),acollaborationwithLondonCollegeofFashiontogrowagarmentandproduceaknittedlinenjumper,thefirstgarmentmanufacturedthisway inLondonforovera100years.LitherlandattendedaCordwainersGrowworkshop(March2017),wheretheyintroducedtheattendeestothebasicsofprocessingdriedflaxtocreatetwineandgaveadviceaboutgrowing,harvestingandrettingstagesofflaxproduction.FibreprocessingIn early October 2017 we will attend a workshop with experts at Flaxland (Cotswolds) to learn moreadvancedtechniques forprocessing the flax fibre.Wewill thenripple,break,scutchandhackle the flaxfibres readytobehandspun,whichwillbeattemptedwithadropspindle.Expertiseofanexperiencedspinnerwillbesoughttocreateyarnssuitableforweaving.Weanticipatethatwewillhaveourownyarntoweavewithbyearly2018.WeavingConcurrent to sowing the flax crop, the process of collaborating on woven linen canvas design andproductionbeganatMcLaren’sstudio inPrimary,Nottingham(April2017).Usingcommerciallyavailableand vintage hand spun linen threads, small samples of woven fabrics have been developed, fromelementary plain-woven linens, herringbone, satin, and sateen structures (fig.15) to introduce basicprocessesandterminology,tomorecomplexpatternedandtexturedfabrics(fig.16).Thesesmallsamples(150mm x 150mm) have been stretched onto boards where experiments applying primers and initialwashesofpaintwillbecarriedouttocreatesurfaces/paintedobjectswherethepatternedlinenfabric

Figure14–PreparedfieldreadyforsowingSource:Litherland,2017

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aesthetically and contextually becomes an integral element of the finished painting. We anticipatedeveloping up to thirty of these small samples in an attempt to be as experimental and open to newpossibilitiesaspossible.On-goingexperimentswillexplorefurthercomplexweavestructuresanddrawfromtheweavingculturesof Amerindian textiles,with influence from the patterns found in the processes of flax production, e.g.furrowsofthefieldinwhichtheflaxseedwassown,flowersandfoliageoftheflaxplants.

PaintingLitherlandwillexperimentwithpriming(usingtraditionalrabbitskinglueandgesso),andpainting(usingearthpigmentsinoil)onsmallboardswiththehandwovenlinensamples(fig.17).Theseinitialstudieswillfocusonhowthetextureandpatternofthetextilescanbemadevisibleinthefinishedwork(fig.18).Itisanticipated that this will involve applying washes and creating small works of pictorial and figurativeelementsofthelandscaperelatingtotheproject.Cleardocumentationandanalysisofeachpaintedlinensamplewilldictatethenextwoveniterationuntilwehaveaselectionoffabricsthatcouldbeselectedtomakeintolargerfinishedpaintings.

Figure15.Initialweaveexperiments-1Source:McLaren,2017

Figure16.Initialweaveexperiments-2Source:McLaren,2017

Figure17.Wovenlinensample–Stretchedbeforepriming

Source:Litherland,2017

Figure18.Wovenlinensample–primedwith5layersofgessoandathinwashesofrawochre

Source:Litherland,2017

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InitialfindingsWhile the project is currently work-in-progress, some initial findings reveal benefits of working acrossdisciplinesinrelationtodevelopmentofnewknowledgeandunderstanding,skills,andcreativeoutcomes.Collaborative contextual exploration has provided knowledge exchange between practitioners, allowingthe development of new ideas across disciplines and enhancing knowledge and understanding of thematerials,practiceandconceptualideas,withparticularfocusoninterconnectedaesthetic,ecological,andmaterial-ledconcepts fromtextiledesignandfineartcontextsasdescribed inthispaper.Fromatextiledesignresearchperspective,thishasspecificallyprovidedhistoricalweaveknowledgeoftheconstructionofmantellilotextiles,furtherknowledgeofAmerindianwoventextilesandmeanings,andhowtheserelatetoourvisualunderstandingoftheworld.Fromafineartperspective,theartisthasdiscoverednewwaysofcommunicatingmeaningthroughmaterialsandprocessesofproduction.Bystagingatextileasafineartobject,usingthemechanismsofagalleryspace,theobjectcomesunderadifferenttypeofscrutinyandcanbeunderstooddifferentlybytheaudience,bringingit’smeaningandcontexttothefore.The lack of exploration of the aesthetic andmaterial relationship between canvas and painted surfaceemerged fromthebackgroundcontextual research,openingup thepotential for investigationofhowacraft-basedapproachcanaddaestheticandconceptualmeaningto linencanvas ina fineartcontext, inparallel with contemporary art practice. Both have deepened knowledge of current dialogues aroundsustainability inartanddesign,andhowpositiveecologicalmessagescanbeconveyedthroughmaterialartefacts,inparticularpatternedtextilesurfacesmadefromlocalresourcesthroughaprocessofpracticalapplication–growing,harvesting,processing,weaving.The interaction with the land to grow the flax and new handcraft skills encountered during thecollaborationinprogressarebeginningtoofferthedesignerandartistvisualandtactilestimulation.Forexample, noticing visual parallels between the processes and the locality of production such as thesimilarityofaploughedfieldtoawarpundertension,theassemblyofthedrystonewallaroundthefieldinDerbyshire,withstructuredweavepatterns.Theopportunitytoweaveourownlinencanvasallowsustomoveawayfromtraditionalplainweaveandexplorethepossibilitiesofhowstructureandpatterncaninfluencenotonlythepaintingprocess,butthenarrativeandsubjectoftheresultingpaintings.Everyresearchactivitysofar,fromdiggingthefieldtoweaving,primingandpaintingthecanvashashadastrongelementofmanuallabourandfocustoit.Asalltheseprocessesareintegraltotheprojecttheyallseemtobeofasimilarhierarchicalvalue,diggingandpaintinghaveequalimportance. Thishascreatedspacefordiscussionofpoliticalaspectsoftextileandfineartproduction,anemergingstrandofenquirywithintheproject.Development of a new iterative collaborative methodology using reflection through practice has beendevelopingthroughtheproject,whereroundsofsamplingbuildon ideasas theydevelopandgrowbuttake intoaccountthesuccess inachievingthesharedaimsofcommunicatingthroughtextiledesign(fig.19).Forexample,thesuccessofsamplesfortheintendedpurposedependsontheresultsofprimingandpaintingthem.Asevidencedinthephotos,(fig.17&18)thepatternissubtle,structuralduetoonlyonecolour in bothwarp andweft, so the discovery that the painting process accentuates the subtleties ofstructuresmakingthemmoreprominentandnoticeableisarevelationthatwillbedevelopedfurther.The project has offered space for new textile design knowledge and understanding to develop. Theaccentuationofstructurethroughprimingthesurfaceofferspotential intextiledesignforapplicationoffinishesthatcouldenhancethestructuralqualitiesofawoventextileinthesameway,forexample,andtheenhancedperformanceof the stretched linencanvasprimed togivea strong surfaceunder tensionalso has potential in other applications, such as architectural panels and structural textiles. Further

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investigationof the technical properties of theprimed canvasseswill be explored in later stagesof theproject.

ConclusionsAlthoughtheprojectisstillwork-in-progress,itisevidentfrominitialfindingsthattheprocessofcollaborationhasalreadystartedtosupportachievingtheobjectivesoftheproject.Ithasprovidedknowledgeexchange,developmentofcontextualunderstandingandnewstrandsofenquiryforbothpractitionersbyallowingspacefordialogue,reflectionandcritiquealongsidelearningnewpracticalskills.Thebackgroundresearchhasshownthatconceptsofinterconnectivitycanbearticulatedthroughacontemporarywoventextileinafineartcontext,butthattherelationshipbetweentextilesurfaceandpaintedimagehaslargelybeenunexplored.Thetextilesmadefromthelocallygrownlinenhaveyettobecreatedasthecropisstilltobeharvested,buttheauthorsbelievethatbyexploringthisrelationshiptheinterconnecteddialoguesbetweentextilecraftbasedpracticeandfineartcouldbefurtheraugmentedbycombiningthemboth,inasimilarwaytoLitherland’scollisionofimagerywithinhispaintingpractice.Theprocessofundertakingtheseskilledprocessesinaparticularlocationisstilltobefullyrealised,buthasprovidedsomeinitialvisualresearchtoinspirethesubjectmatterandpatternsinthework.Thenewdiscoveryoftechnicalelementsrelatingtoboththeapplicationoftextilesinthisprojectandwithpotentialinfurthercontextsdemonstratesanexampleofthevalueofinterdisciplinarypracticetothedevelopmentoftextiledesigninnovationandwillbeexploredfurtherastheprojectprogresses.

Figure19–Diagramoftheiterativecollaborativeweavedesignprocessanditsrelationshiptothepainting

processandproductionoflinenthread.Source:Litherland,2017

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It could therefore be concluded that the process of collaborating across textile design and fine artdisciplineshasprovidedbothpractitionerswithnewknowledgeanddeepercontextualunderstandingtobenefittheirownon-goingpractice,teachingandresearch.Thereispotentialfortextiledesigninnovationleading from the research, and communication of important sustainability messages through the finaloutcomesinatangible,materialformat.

AcknowledgementsThisresearchhasbeenfundedbyNottinghamTrentUniversity’sMaterialSeedcornResearchFund.References

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GeoffDiegoLitherlandGeoffDiegoLitherlandisaMexicanbornartistbasedinWirksworth,Derbyshire.HavingspenthisearlyyearsinBoliviaandEcuadorhemovedtoEnglandandgraduatedfromFalmouthCollegeofArtsin2002with a first class honours degree in Fine Art Painting, in 2012 he completed an MFA in Fine Art atGoldsmithsUniversityofLondon.He'scurrentlyalecturerinFineArtatNottinghamTrentUniversity.Geoffrey.litherland@ntu.ac.ukAngharadMcLarenAngharad isaLecturer inTextileDesignandSustainableClothingResearchCoordinatoratNottinghamTrent University, and former Lecturer and Associate Researcher at the School of Art and Design,University of Dundee,with prior textile industry and enterprise experience. Research interests includesustainablefashionandtextiles,crafttheoryandpractice,textileforperformance,healthandwellbeing,andrelationshipsbetweencommunity,[email protected]

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Woven Within the Surface: interconnected explorations of fine ...Within the Surface is an interdisciplinary collaborative research project led by contemporary painter Geoff Diego Litherland,