SIMPLICITY, TIMELESS DESIGN AND PICASSO - Artist Textiles 16/9-25/9 2016

Delia Dumitrescu framför Picassos Bird

 

 

We talked about exhibition Artist Textiles with Delia Dumitrescu, researcher at Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business at the Department of Design. The title of her dissertation is Relational textiles: surface expressions in space design.

What are you focusing on when you visit Artist Textiles?

I use to look at the pattern itself. I'm also very interested in the way the different expressions appear. But also in the way the patterns are organized on the surface. I also think it's interesting to see what happens with the pattern in relationship to the body.

I'm probably not familiar with all the artists involved in this exhibition, but when it comes to Picasso, Dalí and Miró I recognize their works and their language. It's also interesting to see how they put their language into the textile design. When it comes to textile design it's so important the way it is designed, but also how the pattern is repeated.

What are the biggest differences between textile design then and now, according to you?

You can see certain styles, different artistic language of certain artists. But I would say that most of the patterns are extremely modern and I don't see them as dated at all. I was surprised by that when I visited the exhibition for the first time.

Today everything goes so fast. When these patterns were made the artists had more time to consider the working process. I appreciate the digital techniques but I also think that if you don´t have the hand craft perspective from start it might be difficult. You need knowledge and you also need to know how to arrange the surface and what colors to choose.

What objects do you find most interesting?

I have a few favourite patterns and one of them is Fish by Pablo Picasso. It has such a level of abstraction. The colors are very modern and it looks like it could have been made today. I like the language of form and the simplicity.

I also like the ski-jacket by White Stag and Picasso. Especially the printing and the simplicity of the cut. The way the print is related to the cut I find extremely modern. When you go closer to the garment you are able to see more details of the pattern. With more distance you focus more on the shape and when you go closer you can focus more on the textile itself.

I like Bird by Picasso and I´m very interested in the interdepth of the pattern. If you look from a distance you can't see it's a bird, but when you go closer you can suddenly see it. It´s nice to see the relationship between the repeat and the motif and also how detailed the motif is. You just see it when you get really close. It almost looks like aquarelle and you can see the texture very clearly.

I'm also fascinated by Desert Rocks by Salvador Dalí. There are fantastic details and it looks in different ways depending on the distance. When you get closer you start so see the classical Dalí expression. I think it's really Beautiful.

 

Why should one visit Artist Textiles?

The exhibition is fantastic for our textile students. I also get inspired by the level of details and how to work with placement of things. Textile design always affects ones imagination and it´s also decorative. It makes it quite easy to get people interested and it communicates to a large audience. It's also both about garments and interior design which attract a large amount of people. It's nice to have access to this history of textile design.