WORKMANSHIP OF PROGRESS a u t u m n / w i nt e r 2 01 2 Jessica Henley BDes Fashion, Major project 2011
The battle of urban modernity and socialist utopia caused by the manifested tensionsurroundingtheArtsandCraftsmovementhasvisuallyarticulatedabalancing actasoneseeksdominanceasitsurroundsthebody.Therawandhandmadecelebrates hand workmanship contrasting the growth of structural engine garments. Therelationshipbetweenhandcraftedandmachinemadeisquestionable,signifyingan encounterofmanandmachine;thuscommentingontheharshnessofthemachinery againstthenaturalform.Thisstrainisexploredtodeterminewhethercelebratinghand workmanship and society advances simultaneously can be achieved or the will perceived ways of modernity leave behind the practical skills of the maker’s hands. Accepting the risks involved with crafting by hand and working in conjunction with machinery has maintained a relationship between man and the final object as not to eliminate a dying art form.The naturalistic logic inWilliam Morris’textile work has developedsurfaceprintscombiningtraditionalandmoderntechnologiesbeinglasercut embossingandwoodblockprintingaswellaspromptingasustainablenotionofnatural fibres and organics.
Opposite.WilliamMorris,Acanthus,1875,wallpaper.DesignedbyWilliamMorris,printedbyJeffery & Co. for Morris, Marshall, Faulker & Co., block-printed in distemper colours. The whitworth Art Gallery. The University of Mancester.
WORKMANSHIP OF PROGRESS autumn/winter 2012
BUNKER 1
Red House Coat / Strength Waistcoat /Craft Dress
BUNKER 2
Workman Coat / Urban Shirt / Acanthus Pant
BUNKER 3
Certainty Coat / Tension Shirt / Progress Pant
BUNKER 4 Battle Layer Waistcoat / Future Jacket / Industry Dress/ Jane Skirt
Karl Lagerfeld, Designed by Man and Nature, 2001. Screen print on Arches 640g, 101 x 152 cm. In Work in progress, Steidl Publishing, 2011. p. 52 - 53.
The work of William Morris and the socialist ideals affixed to it promote a naturallogicandareturntonature,encouragingtheuseofnaturalmaterials andhandworkmanship.Thefeelofhuman participation within production hasbeenembracedtocelebratehand craftsmanshipalongsidetheadvances of modernity, exploring the parallels between man and the industrialization.The writing of the late David Pye, a critic and craftsman himself, articulates the qualities of a piece of work differentiated by the process of how an object is made. Alluding to the risk involvedwithtraditionalworkmanship using the tools specific to a trade, the qualities of a piece of work are in the
hands of the maker. Throughout the construction process there is risk involvedwhichcanaffectthefinaloutcome and illustrates the level of skill or craft the works man has used. The bearerofhumanparticipationwithin production allows elements to be retained from the marker. Applicable toanyonewhoworkswiththeirhands in industries which can or have been taken over by machinery, addressing the relevance and importance of the wayanobjectiscreatedmayhelppreserve the art of hand craftsmanship. The risk involved in hand work can provide the beauty we strive to see in objects.
Opposite. Red house Coat worn over Strength Waistcoat and Craft Dress
Urban Shirt and Acanthus Pant worn
Urban Shirt and Acanthus Pant worn with Edward bracelets
Risk Overcoat & Certainty Coat worn over Tension Shirt with Edward macrocarpa neckpiece
“Therearecertainirregularities and deficiencies which are not only signs of life but sources of beauty … to banish imperfections is to destroy expression”.
Battle layer waistcoat and Future jacket worn over Industry Dress and Jane skirt Opposite. Future Jacket worn over Industry Dress and Jane Skirt
The predetermined outcome of machineproductioncarriesadegree ofcertaintywhichishighlyregulated withlimitedvariationsbetweenproductions.Thetechnologicaladvances set in motion during the industrializationcreatedconsistencyand provided precision. The repetitive nature of machinery has removed the passion and talent expressed in anobjectthatishandmadebutgenerates a level of product guarantee and can be more efficient in specific areas where the level
and can be more efficient in specific areas where the level ofcraftsmanshipwasirrelevantifthat iswhatthedesignrequired.Whether it was done by a fine craftsman or an amateur does not necessary mean one fits the purpose more than the other or that surfaces will be ‘finished’ or ‘flatter’; There is value of each kind of production in its place. The manual input for machine production and ‘metal control’ is minorasaccuracyisgreaterwithless human interaction.
Edward macrocarpa neckpiece.
Edward macrocarpa braclets
Opposite. Progress Pant worn as headscarf and Battle layer waistcoat
Workman Coat laser embossing detail
Craft Dress
The progression of society through modernity has led to an exploration of the relationship between man and machine. The struggle to keep the art of craftsmanship alive can be felt in the works of the Arts & Crafts movement artistsastheeffectsoftheindustrialization seek supremacy. Losing the talent of hand workmanship is the issue as we begantorelyonmachinerytocomplete the work. Comparing qualities and measuring compatibility when pairingnewandoldtechnologiestogether createduniquedetailsforWorkmanship of Progress / w i n t e r 2 0 1 2. Experimentingwithusingdifferenttechnologies simultaneously combined elementsofriskandcertaintyestablishing consistency that still bares the mark of the maker and a moderate level of risk. Laser cut prints were hand drawn
beforebeingcomputerrenderedand processed to the laser cutter which is completelymachineoperational.The neckpieces of seasoned macrocarpa were initially cut with a water jet cutter before being repetitively hand carved to add detail and texture. The lowtechprocessesusedcommunicate an expression of beauty even though perhapsirregularitiesorslightcurbing of ink from the printing process may be present. There is a sense of harmony between thetechnologiesastheyworktogether towards a collective outcome. Rather than using the technologies autonomously, the processes work well in conjunctionandhavetheirbenefitsto produce the best result.
CONTRIBUTERS Photographer . Emma Coombe Model. Dominique Nunns Hair & Make up . Lisa Mclaughlin of Willis York hair studio Shoes. Jeffery Campbell & Tony Bianco from shoe connection
Jessica Henley
JessicaHenley