‘the wild world is in human hands’ (Terra, 2015)
Shonaegh Stewart creates a narrative through textiles, celebrating and challenging materials, creating new textures, and questioning social representations. Urban vs. luxe, experimental vs. commercial – Shonaegh balances on the fine line between each element while obtaining a youthful and attractive appeal. Although style changes throughout each collection, the design aesthetic remains through contrasting textural materials, innovative techniques, and literal shapes. ‘Virtual reality’ focuses on the new reality in which we live in, aiming to draw attention to the fact that in 2018 –the digital world is now our authentic world. ‘As civilization advances, nature has retreated, wild animals have become refugees on Earth… and its existence is tolerated’ (Terra, 2015). Planet earth belongs to each living thing as much as it does to humans but disconnected from Earths creatures in today’s 21st century western culture, animals have become increasingly forgotten as we become more obsessed with technology, with the only life we know being learnt and watched through our phone and television screens. Initially inspired by Eduardo Paolozzi’s collaged narrative style, Shonaegh created her own digital work illustrating this disconnection between ourselves and wild animals with clashing over produced colours and prints, she then focused on specific sections of patterns within each animal to create new animal prints and skins to reflect the ‘virtual reality’ we live in now. The visual ‘more is more’ aesthetic also runs parallel to 80s influences through sportswear and elastic materials interacting with the bold electric colour range and overall mood. 3D Hand embroidery using elasticated bands and bobbles, French knots, marcame/hand knotting, cording, digital sublimation printing, digital embroidery, hand painted bugle beads, hand beading, satin stich, running stitch, and applique combine to create rich and contrasting intense surface textures to create a beautiful and playful styled mini collection of textile samples.
Bibliography: Terra (2015) Directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Michael Pitiot [Documentary Film]. France: France Télévisions
Terra 2015/ Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Michael Pitiot
Concept
The Photographed Animal/ Museum Folkwang-Steidl
humans > The Photographed Animal/ Museum Folkwang-Steidl
> animals
Untamed/Steve Bloom
Shonaegh Stewart/ Paradise Wildlife Park Hertfordshire
Andy Denzler More
disconn
nected virtual reality
Vogue/1981
Phillip Stearns
Digital 80
The Face/1988
Vogue 1981
Colour Test Cards
1.
square eyes
1.Shonaegh Stewart 2. Roy Lichtenstein 3.Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot/Population Media Center
2.
3.
Research
pixelation Eduardo Paolozzi
‘each year, humans kill and cut up 60,000,000,000 animals... nearly ten times the human population’ (Terra, 2015)
Str
Shonaegh Stewart/ Paradise Wildlife Park Hertfordshire
on stripes
ripes
Design Development
s ign als Final Textile Sample/ Digital Cross-Stitch Embroidery, Beading, Hand Embroidery, 3D Elastic Band Manipulation
Shonaegh Stewart/ Natural History Museum
print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print
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print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print
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print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print
Clash
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print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print print
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mismatched
‘performance and intelligence push humanity on’
(Terra 2015)
Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes Lines on Lines Shapes Within Shapes
Receiving Broadcast
Eduardo Paolozzi
Radio waves Radio waves Radio waves
Final Textile Sample/Couching, 3D Elastic Band Manipulation
Transmitting Final Textile Sample/ Digital Cross-Stitch Embroidery, Beading, Hand Embroidery, Satin Stitch, 3D Elastic Band Manipulation
Name: Cheetah Speed: 110 – 120 km/h Mass: 21 – 72 kg (Adult) Conservation status: Vulnerable/ Population decreasing (Encyclopedia of Life) Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus
Final Textile Sample/ Hand Embroidery, Satin Stitch, Back Sticth, Sequining, Beading
Fashion Context