Plane .pdf

This project is part of Ceres Artists in Residence at The Museum of Domestic Design & Architecture (MoDA). The aim of the residency was to use objects from MoDA's collection as a starting point for exploration of natural prints and dyes with the aim of raising the awareness of sustainability in design research.

Plane design
One-colour repeat, with overprinting and papercut details.

This design is part of the body of work produced by Lara Mantell for Ceres, during their time as Artists in Residence at MoDA.

The textile designs were hand screen-printed, using natural dyes made from extracts and bio-waste materials.

Plane design is my response to the work of two wallpaper designers; Alan Shillingford and Audrey Levy. I was inspired by their prints that show the natural forms of trees and bark. The collections held by MoDA show; Shillingford’s work for Arthur Sanderson & Sons Ltd, and Levy’s work for the Palladio range, produced by Lightbown Aspinall

The pattern is inspired by the vertical stripes of tree trunks, and the horizontal markings that form on tree bark.

The design can be repeated as a block repeat.

The images show the design printed in three different colourways, onto silk and wool.

Top left images.

Wool: Red onion, Citric, Iron.

Top right image.

Silk: Red onion, Citric, Indigo.

Bottom images.

Silk: Red cabbage. Citric, Iron, Lac, Brazilwood, Soda Ash.

The design is printed, steamed to fix the dye-pastes, and washed by hand.

After steaming and washing out the dye colours change in brightness and intensity.

All fabric was mordanted prior to the print process.

All the print pastes were made using combinations of bio-waste and plant extracts