As a part of second year, I was offered an amazing opportunity to go to New York City. Been given the most incredible experience of a life time meant, me and my friends had a number of organized archives to attend as well as being let loose on our own in the big apple. It was vital I worked hard as well as play hard so we got the most out of the trip. I strongly believe in ‘If I can make it here, I can make it any were’ my goal and aspiration is always to aim high and to always do my absolute best in every challenge that I face.
We each got assigned three studio visits whist we were away, all relating to our own personal practice back at home, my three assigned studio visits were 'The Rug Company', 'Maraharam' and 'Flavoured Paper.'
The Rug Company is a weaving studio that designed and hand weaved/knotted some of the most amazing rugs I had ever seen in my creative experiences. They design there rugs by inspiration of both their own and collaborations with artists/designs too. Customers both famous and non go into The Rug Company and are able to have any rug however they like, it then gets tailored made for them personally. The rugs are the ideal finish to their homes or to custom a specific event, the rugs are made by the best yarns available and then are sold for the best prices. This was a brilliant experience for me and left me walking away just wanting to make a rug of my own, I was so incredibly inspired by all the artist/designers suggestions they gave to each of us too that I couldn’t wait to go away and get back to my own work, it was really encouraging for me to see what direction exactly my practice could follow in the same direction as.
Maraharam is another weaving based company situated in the heart of New York City, 100 years this company has been going for and is still standing strong today, known for its amazing costume work on Broadway Maraharam is so proud of their company as they still keep getting bigger, as they don't only focus on interior but fashion too working alongside so many amazing designers using all different techniques such as print, embroidery, knit, but still keep their focus around weave, there work varies in price as they don't always use the same components and materials, there work gets produced in Asia and focuses on many topics for their work depending on the collaboration designer.
Flavoured Paper is a print based design company located in Brooklyn, the company moved to their new location in Brooklyn from New Orleans six years ago, they focus on digital colour, pattern and texture, they do everything by hand which makes their work so unique. They don't chase the market they like to scrounge for new materials and ideas and do their own thing, they believe in the customers coming to them. something that really stood out for me from this visit was a batch of wall paper that was there current project, based all around fruit, they were able to get the rolls of wall paper they were working on to even smell of bananas, the smell was lingering the air making this place so exiting and an encouraging/ inspirational place to work.
What have you learnt from the visit(s)/exhibition(s)?
Out of the three visits that I visited, the one I got the most from was 'The Rug Company' as they were a complete weaving organisation, based but included a bit of embroidery, a specialism I also have a great passion for, but also as this specific company gave the best talk and described themselves in the clearest way.
light is a big deal for rugs within their company, but this could also be a big thing for my own work, lighting helps to see anything in many different ways, a rug held in a dark light would look different held in a brighter light, this could refer back to any of my own work too.
Paul Noble, Helen Marie,Nisha Crossman, Paul Smith, Alexander Mcqueen, Matthew Williamson, Jiles Deecon, Ffiona Kuran are all practicing designers the company work with, alongside their ideas to make the best designs for the finishing project, Ffiona Kuran in an ex MMU student this gave me inspiration and encouragement that no matter how hard things can get whilst doing a degree, hard work pays off and you can go far by doing an art degree.
Within the company, they can change the colour, the design, scale and sizing for any rug so the wants and needs of their customers are all reached successfully.
How does this relate to your own practice?
Each exhibition that not only did we have the chance to visit but ones that were available for us to be a part of, to see what each company did could all relate back to each and every practice with in the textile world, one way or another, in my own specific example The rug company could relate back to my own practice as I'm specializing in weave and there work was hand woven ‘knotted rugs of all shapes and sizes, many of these techniques and processes are what I have learnt during my time in university and are some of my favourite skills to create my own samples, not only for the more technical and practical work, but some of the designers and practicing artists that the rug company are inspired by or work with are also who I have looked at myself in past personal projects, this gave me a massive boost in the right direction, after being given three booklets and handouts from the company I just wanted to go away and continue with my own practice, I’ve also set myself a challenge along with the step by step guide to try and make a little rug of my own for my summer project.
Has it made you think differently about how you approach your practice?
Yes, it has made me realize that anything within the design world is possible, I love the idea that nothing is impossible and everything can be done, there is no right to wrong and everything can be a challenge, it is exiting and that is the kind of outlook I would want out of a job.
An encouraging quote from Flavoured Paper spoke, 'Do your own thing, Focus on your own work, focus and success will follow you.'
Has it help to inform future career aspirations or work experience you would like to undertake?
I always felt I was leaning towards being in a much more interior design approach rather than many of the other routes that I could go down but after this most inspirational trip I had ever been on, and especially going to the rug company archive, I knew instantly this was for me, I was inspired by everything and couldn’t wait to get stuck back into my own practice, it’s given me the encouragement to get myself out there and go and find the best types of work for myself, I want to be able to have the most experiences so I can allow myself better jobs in my dream destination.
Within this next year I would like to do nothing but focus on every opportunity I get given and push myself to get the highest mark I am possible off.
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