Hazel Simpson's Portfolio

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A E Specialising in knitted textiles, I take a conceptual approach to my work. I aim to bring craftsmanship and technique forward in my outcomes and explore creativeness to contemporise a traditional craft. With an enthusiasm for making, I indulge in experimenting with material combinations and contrasting processes, developing a considered textile craft response through making and creating cross disciplinary outcomes. I have a strong interest in textile heritage and an understanding of the provenance of materials which is important within my practice.

P A S T W O R K

Hand knitted trousers (2011)

Weave samples (2012)

Mixture of hand and machine texture sample (2012)

Hand knitted wire fashion sample (2012)

C o n c e p t / I looked into gender trouble and Bondage and being trapped and restricted. From my sampling I used a lot of wire and harsh materials to reflect masculine and feminine forms to experiment with shapes in my knitting. (2013)

Inspirational image: Mustafa Sabbagh

Collage Drawings (2013)

Machine knitting with feathers (2013)

Crochet collar (2013)

Knitted Jelly (2013)

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C o n c e p t / A community explored project based around Lee Mills knit and crochet archive. I used donated yarn to yarn bomb the bus stop leading to the archive in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. The project was to make people aware of the archive existence and what it can offer to the knitting community. (2013)

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R E S P O N S E

Craft response to the library.

Understanding what craft is and what craft can be, I used the library as a workspace and responded to the library environment as a contemporary practitioner. Through my drawings and material exploration I wanted to find craft in the library. My final outcomes where looking at everyday activities in the library for example photocopying asking ‘can this be a craft?’. Using this, I felt that my final outcome should be a copy of a craft, exploring the value of craft through unconventional materials using traditional techniques. (2014)

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W O R K

Distilling Equipment

C H O C O L A T E

C o n c e p t / 2015, chocolate, water, oil, wood.

The exhibition creates an olfactory experience of chocolate. The use of chocolate was in homage to Helen Chadwick’s work ‘Cacao’ 1994. I wanted to capture the experience of the object without having the physical object from Helen Chadwick’s archival collection. The immersive sensory encounter provokes an emotional and sensorial translation between craft and art, questioning what can craft be? The use of scent raised the question what can be archived, this concept drove my making process and the materials I considered throughout my practice.

Chocolate as a texture, as a colour, as a material, as a plant, as a pod, as a process, as fragrance, as history, as politics, as Art.

Modern artefacts/Display 1/Hand knit wire, Expantex foam.

2/Tyvek paper.

3/Imprints of washing machine, clay.

4/Fragments of a washing machine, clay.

5/Bio plastic, bubble sample.

6/Bio glass, bubble sample.

7/Machine knit wire, silicone.

8/Machine knit cotton, Expantex foam.

9/Glass bottle, liquid, dye.

10/Granite pestle and mortar.

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A R T E F A C T S

Modern Artefact are ephemeral fragments hand crafted in response to samples form Helen Chadwick’s archival collection ‘In the Kitchen’ 1977. The washing machine was the primary element of the material experimentation this led to looking at the by-product of the machine and the ephemerality nature of bubbles.

My samples tried to capture the bubbles and the organic forms made from the making process.

(2015)

@ChloeAnneCharnockPhoto

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J U M P E R C o n c e p t / The dissolvable jumper creates the notion of the unarchivable and the ephemerality nature of material.

I used Helen Chadwick’s notebooks from her archive in reference to her work ‘In the kitchen’1977. She wrote about the relationship to the material of the performance outfits in relation to the female body. I pushed my modern artefact concept and tried to create the bubbles instead of trying to capture them. I was aware of the sensitive behaviour of the yarn and used this process to dissolve the jumper creating a bubble, foamy reaction. Leaving only the memory of the jumper.

(2015)

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In 2015, I was selected to show my work to Princess Anne.

Showcasing the textile course within the University of Huddersfield.

One year of industry Experience. Within this year I worked with seven different companies.

Including Pringle above is a jumper I knitted for this sample shoot. (2014)

Winning the opportunity to travel to Japan on a work placement with Shima Seiki. (2015)

Using the Apex system to create mood board, tis inspired the knit samples,

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With just over 3 weeks of training on the Apex design system I am familiar with the basics and the short cuts to create some realistic digital knit samples. These are examples of what I created in my training in Japan.

Using the 3D modelling software to create further realistic material and showcasing what the programme can do, I also utilised different areas to add embellishments to my designs.

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C O N T A C T E-mail: hsimp22@gmail.com Mobile: +44 7521343419 CV follow: http://hsimp22.wix.com/hazelsimpson#!cv/c104l