Project 2.1 A Visual Collection

 A Visual Pre-Collection

Following on from my last research module I have moved in to a different area of exploration for my studies. I am no longer going down the route of my mini project as the research modules made me review what I wanted from the course.

Image of the uterus and sketches

I wanted to have more connection with what I do and understand what I want to represent in textiles. This meant I needed to feel something with my work.

During my research modules I produced a piece of work which was about positive emotions and this led me to focus on what colour, textures images I would use for these individual emotions. What meant something to me and others.

From these ideas I then thought about my proposal for critical review and have been mulling over the thought of 'Menopause: The Last Taboo' for many months. This lead me to thinking of how I could visually represent symptoms.

sketches and colour ideas for uterus sketches

sketching in different more graphical ways

Initially I focused on the uterus as an image, as being the focus of where the menopause starts, I looked at reproducing the images in different ways in different fabrics. 

Embroidery and repeat print ideas were of interest to me. However soon my work developed in to being strongly defined by colour.

The colours I started to use were partly based on the uterus colours I had been drawing. With more research I found out that hot flushes are, many people believe, the only true symptom of the menopause (even though the usual view is that there are 13 symptoms of the menopause).


I imagined what a hot flush felt like in colours, and this palette was very close to the colours I had been used for the representation of the uterus. These colours are not my usual colour palette so it has been a challenge to keep working with them !

Multimedia abstract feeling of hot flushes through out the body. Heat coming out in different ways, areas and intensity.

A more biological look at representing the hot flush with pods throughout the day

I have found the term pre-collection particularly difficult to understand what was needed. I approached this as a project with sketching and then broadened it out to working with different media and samples. I also kept to my thoughts on menopause but as I worked different ideas and themes came forward which I wanted to explore and will continue to explore to move forward in further work.

My research interests of Menopause: The Last Taboo is particularly relevant as I have been going through intense bouts of hot flushes and night sweats for years as part of my menopause journey.I feel that my research project and my personal specialism will be inextricably linked. Whilst creating a visual pre-collection I was also researching which has also lead me to be concerned about where I store my research work and whether I need to duplicate it in both research and personal specialism.

The more research I do the more interesting information I get to use in my creative work. For instance I have recently thought about the animal world and menopause and found that certain species of Orca whales go through menopause in their 30s and 40s and this is a positive role in their society. So I thought this may be good to incorporate somewhere in my work. I developed a little emblem in embroidery on my slogan t-shirt - but that is just a start. I can develop this more.

Ideas on colours and form of the weaves from sketchbook

When I was developing my work on hot sweats I felt that a warm, soft material would be good to use so started with wool. I then felt that trying to replicate a build up of colour through my pieces would be an abstract way of creating how a hot flush felt. Asking others they felt I should keep black in the colour palette for some of the stronger, denser ideas.

Weaving was a good way of layering and mixing colours from my palette to show different intensities of the flushes in women's bodies. I created many different ways thinking of strength, the darker reds and blacks created stronger hotter areas of the body and the lighter pinks where lighter less intense heat.

Sketchbook ideas for a weave

Whilst creating my weaves I also had the idea of hanging larger weaves for an installation to create something that the visitor had to walk through. This was my thoughts about the Menopause Tunnel, a working name for an installation which the visitor walks through a series of different hangings.
The temperature of the tunnel will be start with a fall in temperature and then get hotter and have blasts of increasingly hot air.

At the end of the tunnel the visitor can create a comment on the Menopause Wall which will be a quilt or wall hanging.

Quick sketch of the thoughts of the menopause tunnel.

How do I visualise hot sweats ?

This was a really big concern. To me hot sweats colour pallettes are pinks and reds - colours that I am not naturally drawn to with my work so it I felt almost held back by these colours for a long time. Thinking that at some point they would make me engage with them. It has been a difficult process for me as I felt using pink in particular would not make as strong a statement as I would wish.

I am still struggling with it, however I strongly believe that I have found the colour palette which visualises the sweats so I need to aim to overcome my personal tastes.

My initial idea was to do one weave but the idea took hold and I wanted to look at a series of different patterns, interpretations of hot flushes. How they could change per person or per time or per day.







Using the same colour palette meant I looked at the weave and what it told me. I also wanted to look at the size and shapes.  What did they portray to me about the subject matter and did it need several of them to build up a picture ?

A range of weaves to reflect on what it feels
like to have a hot flush or several through out the day, week.

Crochet layering on top, sampling to build
a bedspread of hot flushes, night sweats.

Highlighting areas on the body that experience hot flushes and how they build up on a small mannequin through wool and photography

Visual Collection of inspiring ideas from artists

The pillow dress - from an exhibition at Lotherton hall - created by Yorkshire designers to help promote Wellness in fashion. A pillow is attached at the front on on the top of the wearer.

Teppei Yamada’s installation Apart and/or Together

At York Art Gallery this summer there was an artwork which had 10 different heart beats coming through the speakers. The hangng threads jumped at the different individual beats. The colours created beautiful visual effect which was fascinating

The picture below shows the threads dancing to the rhythm of the beats.