Textile Curtains

For the last few months I've been creating these three linear 3m long curtains each describing a process I've looked very closely at within my project. This idea is branched from when I created shadows with with maps because i'm intending to shine light through these three curtains to make shadows; creating an installation piece.

Paper:

I started this project cutting out maps from Karen O'leary and I've already used cut out maps to make shadows so cutting out a map from paper seemed an obvious start. Tord Boontje's work inically inspired me to create my curtains starting with cut out curtains with his 'Screen/Streamer' from his Wednesday collection, Until Dawn Curtain and Fallen Flowers Curtain/Screen.

While making this I had to hand cut it all out so like Tord I folded the paper to get a repetitive pattern that also links the the roads together creating one whole strip of map that is cut out.

Print:
One of the ways I created shadows before was from shining light through screen printing onto translucent fabric. From this it seemed obvious to do it again but on a much larger scale. ust one repetitive print was too simple and not as appealing so i printed another thinner map over the top. I tested different colour combinations stcking to the colour schemes within my sketch book.

Strips:
Looking through my sketch book my imitation of Sandra Meech strip pieces was something i looked quite deeply at and was the most adaptable from my other work to this.
Using this technique wouldn't give much light through but i could use different tranlucent fabric in the spaces inbetween. I tested four different types of translucent fabric, looking at: cotton scrim, netting, unbleached muslin and a looser weave bleeched muslin. I chose to use the cotton scrim and unbleached muslin because it didn't ruffle up when i sewn over them.

To make this i've used loads of different materials for strips all with natural colours like cream and brown, I used maps, route cards, squared paper, parcel paper, hand made paper, lino printed paper, textured wallpaper, old book pages, dress patterns, dress making pages and lace ribbon.
I intended for my curtain to be hanging up as an installation piece i needed to cover the back of this curtain. So I used cocoon stripping on the back for it's cream and natural colour and texture.