exhibiting and promotion

PRINT ROTATE REPEAT

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I’ve had four of the best weeks of my academic career exhibiting my research at the East Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who visited, left comments in the book, messaged me directly and commented on the social media posts – it is a huge endorsement for my work to receive such positive feedback. I’ve also appreciated messages from further afield from those people unable to visit, responding to the images we’ve posted online. I thought it good to share the exhibition pictures, particularly for those unable to visit, but as a wonderful archive of the exhibition too.

For those who need a reminder, the research explores the potential to design and print pattern with limited artwork – one screen per four-colour design, testing the feasibility of constraints as opportunity to rewrite the design process, placing the designer at the centre of the process, in contrast to the fast-paced evolution of design that is adopting Artificial Intelligence as key creator.

I balance a traditional creative process with new thinking to establish the design language and print production methods. One design, one screen, four colours, four rotations = many configurations of design outcomes and increased efficiency.

East Gallery is the public-facing space of the university, with free entry to the exhibitions. Wide-ranging exhibitions are held here, managed and curated by Claire Allerton. Claire first visited my studio at home well over a year ago when we discussed the potential of a show but it’s been a long journey of designing and printing since then! I thoroughly enjoyed working with Claire to establish the conceptual and contextual direction of the research as well as in developing the narrative for the body of work that has been made over a three-year period alongside my role as Course Leader of BA (Hons) Textile Design. Claire and I worked with art technician Sam Cook to determine the design and installation of the exhibition. Despite a very busy time at the start of the academic year I was very hands-on with the installation of the work, which felt important for me. Decisions of specific placement of lengths evolved as we adjusted to the work in the gallery space.

I shall attempt to describe the exhibition visitor experience, and use beautiful photos from Denisa Ilie to show you environment.

The beautiful blue wall, (Pantone 299U) welcomed viewers to catch a glimpse of the design principles, and see the exhibition film featuring footage of me printing as well as me talking through the research. The exhibition entrance also included a fantastic essay by Claire, outlining the importance of this exhibition at this time.

These small hand-printed lengths illustrate the design premise and hinted at where the exhibition was heading. I kept to three primary colours (red, blue and yellow) and three primary geometric shapes (circle, square & triangle) for the design work included in this exhibition although year two of the project saw me testing my approach in relation to floral motifs. I tested design principles established by Lewis Foreman Day in his 1901 book, Pattern Design, and drew inspiration from Sonia Delaunay’s work with colour as shape for rhythmical outcomes.

The next space accessed by a short run of steps or a lift presented the work in progress, with design thinking, making, sampling and process displayed. A vitrine showcased a sketchbook, lino blocks and tools, as well as folded structural books that suggest designs in the built environment with small figures for scale. Two wall-mounted boards, one for motif and pattern, and the other colour and material, set the anticipation for the largest gallery space. The window vinyl featuring one of my designs, made an impact in this space, reflecting on surfaces and softening the light, as well as attracting plenty of attention from passers by.

This small book includes sequences of motifs evolving from one shape to another, exploring my previous practice and ongoing interest in visual communication and book arts. These sequences were included in the film as a stop-frame animation I had made at the beginning of the research and remain an important aspect of my design process, as well as the starting point for the design (evolve) featured on the windows.

The vitrine included lino blocks and sample printing, sketchbook pages and folded sequences of pattern alongside designs that didn’t push through to the final collection but explored vital aspects of the design process.

The colour and material board includes samples from my time at Ivo’s with Podge, and large-scale lino blocks that led to one of the final designs. I often play with colour using gouache paints first, so they are included as well as testing with oil-based relief printing inks for the lino printing. I tested pigment inks and dyes in my fabric printing on different cloth, so the colour matching and sampling is also included here. I chose clean graphic shapes in the final artwork for production, as I wanted the design language to be as neutral as possible, without the makers mark, despite initially using drawing and lino cutting in development work that did include those characteristics.

I loved seeing the visitors’ responses as they caught sight of the lengths. Eighteen vertically suspended lengths, hung in pairs, and one horizontally displayed with the screen I used to print it with are the culmination of the research so far. Visitors were able to walk amongst the lengths to view them close-up and be immersed in the pattern, looking through and across the space. I hand screen-printed each length myself and they were three and a half metres long and seventy centimetres wide – the physical experience of printing was very much associated to what I could do without relying on anyone else – it’s a good job I’m tall!

At some point in about February / March we discussed the height of the ceiling in the gallery and how many lengths I may be able print. We agree on between four and six lengths for the exhibition – that somehow evolved to include nineteen, and others I have printed are not included. I’ve printed over one hundred metres of cloth in the last few months.

The pairs of screen-printed lengths were hung together and one sat over the other, to connect the individual to the collective statement. We agreed we wanted honesty in the hanging system Sam devised, and I’m pleased with the results. The folded edges along the lengths rather than stitched hems maintained focus on the patterned cloth rather than suggesting a resolved item for interiors, for example. As the viewer walked through the space it was possible to see several iterations of designs represented, as single or multiple-coloured variations on the them of each design. There are seven pattern designs across the nineteen screen-printed heavy-weight linen lengths.

I had to devise my own registration method for some of the design, as I couldn’t rely on traditional registration furniture on the print tables when I rotated the screens. This would not necessarily have been clear to the novice, but the system of quarter circles appeared on three patterns where the motifs appeared to float above the background. All screen registration was carried out by eye. It was fun to discuss the complexities of the design and print process in a very well attended public talk one Wednesday lunch time and hopefully I can share the exhibition film in due course.

Claire decided it was a good idea to evidence the printing process by including one screen over the length it created, with the step of printing each colour visible. I really liked this idea and it was very well received too. Thanks Sam for sorting the technicalities of the hanging! Glimpses of the design could be seen as we traveled through the space.

In this main gallery space, we included two more vitrines that build the narrative and transparency of the creative process, again with sketchbook pages and lino, alongside printed samples on paper and cloth. Weaving and the notion of construction and deconstruction of pattern was evidenced not only in the vitrine but also endorsed by the eight framed works on paper, PLAY, see below. These screen-printed and constructed works provide further opportunities for experimentation on the notion of themes and variations in their composition, an idea I return to often.

The visitors could see how one lino block informed the next one, and how the design evolved across paper and fabric before resolving as the series of printed lengths.

The vinyl window treatment made an impact, inside and out, with beautiful shadows and reflections throughout the day and night.

I’ve written previously about the publication, with an essay by Victoria Mitchell, another brilliant record of the research and exhibition. It has been so well-received we had to do a mid-show reprint!

The publication is a beautiful record of the research, designed by Paul Kuzemczak and including an essay by Victoria Mitchell. I’m grateful for this opportunity and the efforts of the immediate exhibition team in making this be the success it has become.

Thank you Claire, Sam, Victoria, Paul and Denisa, and the brilliant textiles technicians Neil, Yasmine, David and Eddie, who have been so incredibly supportive and generous with their time and knowledge throughout!

Image credits: Denisa Ilie

showing the workings

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I am so pleased with the feedback from visitors to my solo show Print, Rotate, Repeat, at the East Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts, with particularly strong interest in the design development work and sketchbooks on show, providing the creative and technical journey to the screen printed lengths. For those not able to make it to see the work in situ I thought it nice to share some photographs of the work that is fundamental to this creative and technical research project, with some commentary on my intentions. Tracing paper, pencil and paper as well as lino cutting and printing keep my ideas moving.

This layered drawing on tracing paper was an early development of an idea of theme and variations, explored in a chapter in the book Pattern and Chaos in Art, Science and Everyday life edited by Victoria Mitchell and Sarah Horton, published by Intellect Books in 2023. I was exploring the potential for pattern evolution, transforming one shape or pattern structure to another.

This notebook records sequences of transitions from one geometric shape to another and was developed in to a short stop-frame animation that has been shared on instagram and is also featured on the film of the research, on show in the gallery.

Tracing paper enables me to test the design with layered rotations of the design as part of the development, before I commit to cutting a lino block.

Each design can look quite different depending on how I rotate the subsequent layer, whether it’s a 90 degree turn clockwise, or a 180 degree rotation, for example. This design has explored Lewis Foreman Day’s distribution of elements work from his pattern design book published in 1901. I had to adjust the composition to enable the layered rotations.

Breaking away from the formal grid structure, I tested the diagonal pattern potential with the block rotation principle. As this design is rectangular it can only accommodate one 180-degree rotation. The negative and positive shape in each of the designs I’ve developed are vital elements in the design process, carrying the weight and space of the design, providing rhythm and movement.

This was the initial drawing for Vortex, one of the most complex designs I have created, developed from the diagonal design shown above this sketch. Getting ideas out of my head makes room for my ideas and enables them to be more tangible. It captures a time in the research and I often return to an idea that was only a fleeting thought some time before. This one was developed into a four-colour length, on exhibition at the East Gallery.

Printing in progress for a two-colour version of Vortex

Four-colour print of Vortex, with each layer a rotation of the one screen being used. Screen print on linen cloth.

The exhibition is on until the 24th October 2026, open Tuesdays – Saturdays from midday.

Print Rotate Repeat – the show is open!

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I’m still buzzing from the opening night of my solo show at the East Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts last Thursday. With nearly two hundred guests the gallery was busy and the feedback brilliant! I didn’t take any photos on the night but here’s a few I’ve taken since.

The white vinyl can be seen from up and down the road and I’ve received lovely comments about it – some not wanting it to go after the exhibition! It throws gorgeous shadows on to the gallery walls and floors which emphasise the power of pattern.
Visitors have commented on how nice it is to see the workings in the sketchbooks as well as the more completed lengths, and although I don’t often show the work in progress it is very important to this exhibition to evidence the planning and workings out!

We have a motif / pattern board and one for colour, which really communicates the testing and development across the three year project, both with paper and cloth.

There are two separate environments for this exhibition, designed by the curator Claire Allerton at the East Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts. She’s done a brilliant job in designing the narrative of this substantial body of work.

The show is on until the 24th October, Tuesdays – Saturdays, midday opening. Look out for the windows – you can’t miss them!

Print Rotate Repeat

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As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, I’ve been developing a new relationship with pattern design based on traditional block printing over the last three years. I’m delighted to announce I have a solo show at the East Gallery, at Norwich University of the Arts opening in three weeks time, open for a month. I’ve printed about one hundred metres of fabric over the last few months and I can’t wait to see much of it installed.

more printing, more rotating pattern

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Despite it being a busy few months in academia I’ve been squeezing in time to screen print as I’m working towards a solo show of this research project – more information coming soon!

To build anticipation, here’s some shots of some of the progress in the pattern work …

sharing my pattern research

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I’ve been busy printing and presenting my ongoing pattern research over the last few months, testing the design and print process, and receiving useful feedback – which may explain the lack of blog posts recently!

Last September I presented my work at the Fashion and Textiles Courses Association conference, Futurescan 6, held at De Montfort University in Leicester, and had a small exhibition of the work in progress during the conference. It was great to formalise my ongoing work at that time, and receive external feedback from the audience. It was useful to consider how I communicate the research, as the principle is simple but the process complex. I have also discussed this research as part of other presentations over the last few months, for colleagues, for undergraduate students as well as the audience of the Costume and Textiles Association’s programme of Heritage Open Week talks at the Forum in Norwich.

Last week I presented this research to the British Association of Paper Historians as part of their Spring Meeting held at St. Bride Foundation, having been invited to do so by the Wallpaper History Society. My fellow presenters covered wide ranging topics, from paper conservation, Japanese paper as cloth, the College of Arms and the current situation of the paper industry in the global context. It was a fascinating day with lots of common ideas and interests, and I received some very positive feedback to keep me on track.

I have further opportunities to share my research in a couple of months, so more news on that in due course!

I am continuing to develop both lino blocks as well as artwork for screen printing, which enables me to test different colour handling and substrate options, for wallpaper and cloth. Colour is an important element of this research and particularly the transparency of colour in the overprinting, so the palettes will continue to evolve as I continue the exploration of primary and secondary colours.

As I gear up to making larger work for an upcoming showcase opportunity I look forward to sharing more of the work in progress.

sketchbook development
pattern development

PLAY prints on show

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I am really pleased to have had two of my most recent works on paper selected to be included in the Print Cromer exhibition this summer, with the Private View on 19th July. This new body of work has been developed as part of my academic practice at Norwich University of the Arts where I have been exploring pattern structures and repeat blocks. I have explored new pattern iterations by rotating the screens to add additional colours of the same artwork, thereby building greater complexity from limited design information. In an age where digital design and the use of Artificial Intelligence provides limitless opportunities, I want to explore the fundamentals of pattern creation to generate new possibilities that are led by the designer, ensuring the creative path is transparent.

The theme of the exhibition is PLAY, and as a result the palette I created feels full of summer carnivals and fairgrounds. The overprinting of inks with differing levels of transparency provides a building of depth and subtlety of harmonious colour.

I created a number of one, two, three and four-colour prints initially, that featured the screen rotation in adding the colours. I then cut strips of the prints and with further rotation of the strips, interwove them into one base print that had been sliced to enable the slotting. I enjoyed bringing back an element of paper engineering from my book art practice into these new pieces.

In designing each piece, I considered the placement of motifs and relationships of colour. The collection provides variation within a collective identity and belonging. Some pieces feature only triangular motifs, while most incorporate the circular and rectangular elements too. My research utilises design thinking by Lewis Foreman Day, and his distribution of elements. This approach results in scattered focal motifs that work across repeating patterns. Although this is not a feature of my new work, I recognise the placement considerations are also useful in this work too.

A number of these pieces will be for sale during the show.

playing with print

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I’ve been enjoying some studio time to explore my print research as works on paper with the hope of exhibiting the work. I enjoy paper engineering and construction (that’ll be the book artist in me!) and have previously tested paper manipulation in relation to this current pattern research. I tend to work in this way, creating drawings or prints to exhibit / sell alongside forming pattern ideas, and it has been useful to see the evolution of the sampling in this way here too.

These new artworks utilise my screens of geometric artwork practically exploring research into motif distribution in printed pattern thinking formalised by Lewis Foreman Day in his book Pattern Design, published in 1901. Having printed the artwork in the first colour, I rotate the screen by 90-degrees and print the second colour, turning the artwork / screen up to four times for maximum complexity. To add a further dimension, I’ve been constructing works on paper that utilise several iterations of the prints to build new compositions by weaving and slotting strips of the printed papers in differing combinations of the four colours in the palette, providing the coherency across the series, and an injection of the spirit of summer fairgrounds through the colour and geometric visual language.

There are two screens of artwork used in this collection, therefore two series of original artwork (PLAY – circles and PLAY – triangles) and I shall continue to evolve the body of work over the coming months. I’d love to know your thoughts on this new work!

patterns and maths

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I have been fortunate in having my pattern research selected for inclusion in a really exciting exhibition opportunity in Bristol, led by academic Lucy Ward from University of the West of England.

“APERIODIC brings together artists, scientists, musicians and others in an exhibition about pattern. The show presents work that explores ideas relating to the mathematics and science of ‘aperiodic order’: the absence of regular or repetitive patterns. Or, more simply, ‘things that almost repeat, but not quite’. The exhibition is part of the APERIODIC festival of art, science, music and performance taking place this July in Bristol.” official exhibition text (APERIODIC, 3-14 July 2024 at Kit Form Gallery, Bristol)

The two pieces I had selected explore block rotation in the over printing of further colour layers, resulting in a building up of a more complex design:

Geo / grid / star Lino print

Fields of seemingly reliable compositions of geometric motifs provide the rhythm of assurance through repetition of geometric rhythms but the swapping of small details amongst the motifs unsettles the overall pattern and disrupts the repeating design. The block is rotated before printing of the second colour.

6-spot rotation, multi-direction Lino print

Built upon Lewis F. Days’ principles of distribution of motifs in pattern design (1901), motifs are placed within a tile, 6 x 6 to provide balance and direction when repeated. As the second colour is applied the block has been rotated by 90 degrees in each printing of the tile over the original blue. The repeat is broken and a disorder is established.

One of the highlights of having the work selected for exhibition was the opportunity to have a mathematician review my work aligned to their own interests in pattern. Yotam Smilansky is a Lecturer in Dynamical Systems and Analysis at the University of Manchester, with a special interest in aspects of order and disorder in geometric patterns so I was interested in what they had to say about the work on exhibition.

Yotam Smilansky on Kate Farley, ‘Geo / grid / star’ and ‘6-spot rotation, multi-direction’:

“We notice a certain form, a sense balance, but it might take us a little while before we realise exactly what’s going on. Then we get it: the complicated object before us is made of a single ingredient, copied and superpositioned. It is surprising, even magical, how the unassuming process of layering rotated copies of a single pattern can result in a rich family of objects with a wide range of properties. This is evident, for example, in the moiré patterns of twisted bilayer graphene, where a slight change of angle results in completely different electrical properties, and is beautifully demonstrated in Farley’s mesmerising prints.“

Yotam’s response interested me as I’ve been exploring ways to disrupt and challenge the repeating tiles through transformation and evolution of individual elements within an apparently repeating pattern. I’m certainly keen to continue with this work and am grateful for this opportunity to gain feedback as well as discover the work of other pattern-makers. You can read other reviews of exhibiting artists by mathematicians here.

Thank you Lucy, Yotam and all those supporting the event.

REPEAT panel and contributor book signing

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It’s been a while since I last wrote here – the summer term at university has been very busy, … I’ve hosted an Industry Awards Day, assessed a lot of work, put up a degree show and taken students to the graduate showcase of New Designers in London, to name a few activities, so not much headspace I’m afraid.

In the middle of all that I agreed to chair a panel at New Designers titled Contemporary Printed Textiles and Surface Design Practice. I had the amazing designers Emma J Shipley, Sarah Campbell and Deborah Bowness as panellists, sharing their expertise – all three designers are interviewees in my REPEAT book. I had some questions up my sleeves to shape the discussions, and despite not having done this sort of thing before I thoroughly enjoyed leading it. To a pretty much packed venue we discussed our individual design processes, clients and customers, how we work through licensing deals, and the decisions behind establishing brand identities. Sarah, Emma and Deborah have decades of experience between them so it was so valuable to share their generous and hard-earned experiences with the attentive audience. We could have carried on for much longer! There was also the highlight of meeting my publisher from Bloomsbury, Georgia, who I’d not met in real life before then, but came along to support me.

I also had another idea in my mind, to ask Sarah, Emma and Deborah to sign my REPEAT book to make it a special keepsake. As New Designers is a textile design industry event I also managed to cross paths with several other contributors and asked them to sign it too, including Mark and Keith of Mini Moderns, Clarissa Hulse, Daniel Heath, Jules of @thepatternsocial fame, as well as past students Tasha, now designer at Habitat and Molly, currently floral print designer at Bay and Brown. It has become a mission to find opportunities to cross paths with the many others included, but this could be a very long task!

The day ended in celebration for my colleague Jill, who retired this month after 38+ years at Norwich University of the Arts. Jill taught me when I was 18 years old, and we’ve worked together over the last five years in Norwich. She came along with Grainne, also one of my tutors, to support our graduates on the stand at the show, so I grabbed a picture with them both and the book. They earned a mention in the acknowledgments as they were hugely supportive of me as a student, introducing me to their love of drawing, colour and pattern that has stood me in the many years since.

It was a really successful few days in London with our graduates doing themselves and us proud, as they jumped with both feet in to this great industry experience, just weeks before I proudly read their names out as they crossed the graduation stage at Norwich City football ground. Now it’s time for some holiday!