Zita Katona - Masters Project Report

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

ZITA KATONA FASHION & TEXTILES DESIGN MA HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY 14/08/2017

ZITA KATONA FASHION & TEXTILES DESIGN MA HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY 14/08/2017

ANTHROPOCENE

TEXTILE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE HUMAN AGE

//DESIGN REPORT //INDEX

1// INTRODUCTION

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2// LITERATURE REVIEW

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2/1 WHAT IS THE ANTHROPOCENE?

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2/2 WHY SHOULD WE EMBRACE IT?

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2/3 WHAT CAN TEXTILES DO?

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3// RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PRACTICE 3/1 VISUAL RESEARCH

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3/1/1 PYLONS

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3/1/2 PLACELESSNESS

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3/1/3 BRUTALISM

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3/1/4 SURFACES

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3/1/5 DEFINING COLLECTIONS

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3/2 COLLECTION 1. “GRIDS”

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3/2/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

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3/2/2 STITCHING

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3/2/3 BLOCK PRINTING

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3/2/4 JUTE

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3/2/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE

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3/3 COLLECTION 2. “BLOCKS”

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3/3/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

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3/3/2 DIGITAL PRINTING

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3/3/3 LASER CUTTING

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ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

3/3/4 DEVORÉ

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3/3/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE

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3/4 COLLECTION 3. “CRACKS”

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3/4/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

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3/4/2 DIGITAL PRINTING

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3/4/3 JUTE

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3/5/4 METALLICS

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3/4/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE

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4// FINDINGS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 4/1 WHAT CONNECTS THESE DESIGNS?

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4/2 HOW DO THEY RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE ANTHROPOCENE? //30 4/3 WHAT DO THEY ACHIEVE?

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5// REFERENCES

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5/1 TEXT

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5/2 FIGURES

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6// APPENDICES*

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6/1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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6/2 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH

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6/2/1 QUESTIONNAIRE COPY

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6/2/2 ETHICS APPROVAL (COPY)

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6/3 VISITOR SURVEY

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6/3/1 QUESTIONNAIRE COPY

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6/3/2 ETHICS APPROVAL (COPY)

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*THE APPENDICES INCLUDED WITH THIS REPORT ARE COPIES, REDUCED IN SIZE OR SHORTENED, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY VIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS. ALL ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS ARE SUBMITTED IN A SEPARATE FILE ALONG WITH THIS REPORT.

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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ANTHROPOCENE TEXTILE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE HUMAN AGE

//DESIGN REPORT ZITA KATONA FASHION & TEXTILES DESIGN MA HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY 14/08/2017

1// INTRODUCTION The International Geological Congress recommends that the current geological epoch no longer belongs in the Holocene, and instead it should be named “Anthropocene”, the human age (Carrington 2016), to express human influence on the environment. The Holocene means a period in which the natural circumstances developed in favour of human activities, and this no longer applies since we are now also actively influencing them. This recognition is the starting point of this design project, which intends to explore the visual forms of the human impact through various textile designs, and serve as a tool to raise acceptance towards the Anthropocene.

Textiles have long been inspired by nature surrounding the human environment, but with a new geological age declared, it is worth exploring whether this freshly recognised human influence also has a place on fabrics as motifs, and whether the Anthropocene could ever inspire interior decoration.

There is also the practical and functional aspect of choosing textiles as a medium for this examination, and it corresponds with the challenges presented by the Anthropocene itself such as pollution and urbanisation. Sustainable production principles are therefore considered throughout the project, as one main aim is to make the Anthropocene attractive, and for this, the processes of making must not contribute to its challenges.

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With the rapid urbanisation of the Anthropocene comes a shortage of housing.

A decreasing rate of ownership requires some adjustments for residents to find homeliness, and as textile products can be moved between homes and tailored for different interior needs, they can play a role in the solution. I also wish to take into consideration the shortage of space and light in these contemporary urban homes, and address it with the design processes and material choices.

I intend these considerations to ultimately lead towards designs that create spatial atmospheres which would be capable of facilitating curiosity and thus positively influence perceptions of the Anthropocene and help find our home in it.

This report explains the design process starting with the discussions around the Anthropocene and what it means for textile design, then identifying the leading motifs that will guide the collections, and the thoughts behind the choices of the design themes.

How the most suitable visual languages were found by thorough visual research is explained in detail, then the research methodologies involved in creating three separate collections of textiles. I conclude with evaluating their proposed use and how they would fit into the homes of the Anthropocene, discussing my findings on how they would achieve their intended purpose of providing comfort and contentment with our current place.

2// LITERATURE REVIEW First the driving principles of this project must be looked at and how they guide the design process. I begin with defining the Anthropocene itself and how it is perceived by contemporary research, then I wish to make the case for embracing it and explain why I intend to achieve this by the means of textiles.

2/1 WHAT IS THE ANTHROPOCENE? The word “Anthropocene” was introduced in the Oxford dictionaries in 2014, referring ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

to a “period in which human activity has become a major ecological force, beginning with the Industrial Revolution.” (Oxford Dictionaries 2014) The term has been in use before this date, the “Anthropocene idea is generally attributed to the Nobel prize-winning atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen and the biologist Eugene Stoermer, who started popularising the term in 2000.” (Blasdel 2017) This is the second time humans witness a change of geological epochs, the first one being the shift between the Pleistocene and the Holocene, when glaciers retreated and the climate stabilised. Humans were already present throughout this shift, but it was the circumstances of the Holocene that allowed agriculture and thus human civilisations to develop. (UCMP n.d.)

Therefore, this second shift into the Anthropocene could mean equally, if not more significant changes.

By 2017, human influence on the planet is very visible in all aspects, as we continue to build houses and farm surrounding lands to sustain ourselves. Climate change alone has many consequences to the landscape, such as glacier melting and coral bleaching, and urbanisation is also an Anthropocene phenomenon: for the first time in history, the number of people living in cities is larger than of those in rural areas (Purvis 2015), attracting a number of environmental and societal challenges, and drastically altering the landscape.

How these changes are perceived widely is difficult to measure, but due to the dangers presented by mostly climate change, pollution and urbanisation, our arrival into the Anthropocene is a concern to most scientists. Adding to this, there is another realisation, what some call a “moment of self-awareness”, “in which the human species is becoming conscious of itself as a planetary force. We’re not only driving global warming and ecological destruction; we know that we are.” (Blasdel 2017) This is a new understanding, not experienced throughout the movement into the Holocene, giving particular weight to the present ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

shift.

The realisation of what we are capable of resulted in some calls to change our thinking completely and give up the concept of separating nature from the human world, and, by recognising our “anthropocentric power”, take responsibility towards all life (Alberts 2011).

Indeed, a holistic approach is called for by some, one of them being philosopher Timothy Morton. “In the Anthropocene, Morton says, we must wake up to the fact that we never stood apart from or controlled the non-human things on the planet, but have always been thoroughly bound up with them. We can’t even burn, throw or flush things away without them coming back to us in some form (…) Our most cherished ideas about nature and the environment – that they are separate from us, and relatively stable – have been destroyed.” (Blasdel 2017) He is not alone, Clive Dilnot also advocates that “we can no longer take refuge in the idea there is still a world outside the world we have made – “nature” or even the pre-industrial human realm – to which we can appeal.” (Dilnot 2011) Physical evidence can confirm this with the latest news reporting from the 10.000 m depths of the Mariana Trench, where “extraordinary levels of pollutants” were found (Brady 2017). We have come full circle: not only we are everywhere on the surface, but also as far as we can go upwards in the space, there is debris circulating around us from objects we created, and now it turns out that the furthest we can travel downwards too, nowhere is untouched by human presence.

Fig. 1: Tinned food packaging 4500 m deep in the Mariana Trench (Noaa Office of Ocean Exploration, 2017)

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Does this mean though, that the Anthropocene is putting us in danger and uncertainty where we are not to avoid, only to manage our self-created catastrophes? While it might be the case, I would still like to argue that despite all this, our reality can and should be embraced.

2/2 WHY SHOULD WE EMBRACE IT? The first reason might obviously be, because there is simply nowhere to escape to, not even the Mariana Trench, and the best we can do is resign to our fate.

We must be careful with the apocalyptic narratives though, as the Anthropocene might become the “Misanthropocene” (Patel 2013), and this could be counter-productive towards encouraging participation and taking more responsibility.

If it seems inevitable to take some risks - as minimising them proved to be insufficient, then perhaps, with the realisation of our own impacts might help us with “how to actively shape the natural environment and the necessary but risky decisions that must now be faced” (Zinn 2016).

The arguments are there to build a truly positive case for living in the Anthropocene: one of them explicitly calling for building a “charming Anthropocene” (Buck 2015) with the help of an emphasised role of arts and crafts.

Buck’s vision includes “creating biophilic cities” and “smart landscapes” (Buck 2015), to use our environment-changing powers for a positive and habitable future. The design outcomes of this project then might be an addition to this idea by elevating the Anthropocene and to encourage perceiving it as an environment to inspire. But how can such a risky or even dangerous environment be a source of excitement?

Can anything beautiful be found in the Anthropocene?

In my view the answer is yes. In the words of Junichiro Tanizaki, “the quality we call beauty must always grow from the realities of life” (Tanizaki 1933).

Whilst this thought comes from the dawn

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of Japan’s industrialisation, and it is widely seen as the basis of the Japanese (Buddhist) aesthetic principle of wabisabi, I see no reason not to adapt it to the Anthropocene. After all, it is our home now, the realities of our life, and as such, the industrial, the urban are no longer new, or alien to us, but natural and familiar.

We form our relationships with each-other in such environments, and effectively become emotionally attached to these places. A term for this attachment was coined by Yi-Fu Tuan (1974), which he named “topophilia”, defined as the “bond between people and place or setting” (Tuan 1974). Forming such a bond with the industrial is evidenced by several studies (Mah 2009, Wheeler 2014), but they also showed that their decline into the post-industrial presents challenges, creating a bond based on memories, which could be more nostalgic than desired if we were to follow Tanizaki’s principles of living with the present.

The task is then perhaps to move away from familiarity, and make the Anthropocene look undiscovered and exciting, what Kenya Hara calls “exformation” (Hara 2007), changing the affix to the opposite direction in the word information, to de-familiarise, deconstruct, to show how much is yet to be discovered.

Richard Phillips (2013) refers to this as “terra incognita”. But how can the Anthropocene seem undiscovered? After all, it exists exactly because we are everywhere. An answer could be to adopt Hara’s humility, “that knowledge should not be an aim but an entrance to thought” (Hara 2007), for finding a comfortable home in the Anthropocene for which we can be responsible more successfully.

How to achieve such exformation might be advised by the meticulous photographic arrangements of Bernd and Hilla Becher, whose precise typologies of 1960s-1980s industrial landscapes across the world records “endless variations of similar yet different themes” (Lange 2004). These studies serve a good example of facilitating this kind of new discovery within the ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

familiar, everyday form. Although these records were mostly taken in times of industrial surges, not declines, their methods are worth following into the post-industrial, and the temporality of the Anthropocene could be the basis of further discoveries. The question to ask then, is it possible to bring this idea into the everyday lives, where place attachments are formed?

commemoration” (Grant 2010 cited Weinthal 2014). An early human presence on textiles is an obvious choice for contemporary artists to transform into current themes. A well-known example is created by Glaswegian designer duo Timorous Beasties, whose Glasgow Toile is intended to be a take on the traditional art with “a radically Glaswegian slant” (Design Week 2005). Other takes on the Toile include the Brooklyn Toile by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys

Fig. 2: Gasbehälter (Gas Tanks) Image VII from series: Typologies, 2 (Becher 1966-93)

2/3 WHAT CAN TEXTILES DO? Textiles and interiors can make connections between people and places. “Residues of the everyday persist in interior space marking our experiences and memories of place; the worn carpet that evokes childhood, the smell of familiar rooms” (Chalmers 2013). Is it possible then, to use this attribute in creating new bonds too? Can we use them to connect with our Anthropocene presence through everyday objects?

Existing examples suggest the answer is yes. Although the decorative arts in general usually take inspiration from the surrounding environment – which throughout the Holocene period has overwhelmingly been the flora and fauna – when the man-made appeared, it soon followed on fabrics.

Consider the traditional Toile de Jouy wallpapers from 18th century France. The seamless repeat of isolated, floating scenes allow many directed themes to appear “such as florals, bucolic scenes, neoclassicism, the arts, exoticism, and ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

with Revolver New York (McKeough 2012 cited Weinthal 2014), and “Harlem Toile de Jouy” by Sheila Bridges, whose wallpapers feature traditional-looking scenes but in a contemporary Harlem setting – and with black characters (Weinthal 2014).

Such interpretations allow to form an affectionate bond with these places, and social commentary too, however, this also bears some interpretational risks too, as Timorous Beasties’ London Toile was in the end taken down by the Rich Mix venue after a motif was seen racist, depicting what was thought to be a gunpoint robbery by a black gangster against a white woman, although according to the designers it shows a white man in shade “in an almost comic scene” (Design Week 2006).

It is a warning then that textiles have to be careful choosing contemporary themes if the intention is to reach their users and help them feel positively towards their environment. The above examples are takes on the familiar and the traditional, but in looking for a space for curiosity, ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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defamiliarising and “exformation”, we need to look at more radical examples.

Fig. 3. London Toile by Timorous Beasties (including causing controversy) (Timorous Beasties n. d.)

An obvious choice then could be the avantgarde movements of the 1920s and 30s, particularly the textiles of the early days of the Soviet Union, which saw a very drastic change in the landscape in industrialising an underdeveloped, feudal country. Industrialisation – and its textile representation too, was a thoroughly controlled process: the artists were instructed to glorify human achievements to serve political means. They were not self-driven responses to the changes of the surroundings, and “there was a vast disconnect between the utopian vision reflected in the fabrics and the harsh realities of Soviet life” (Kachurin 2007).

Modernist movements elsewhere in the world were too captured by the capability of man, particularly after the Second World War, when it was seen to build and achieve, rather than destroy and devastate.

The textile designs of the 1951 Festival of Britain are a notable example of this idea, it could even be said that the bold “molecular” designs of William Odell for example, are as revolutionary, and as celebratory as early Soviet patterns (even though the molecules are organic, the ability to see and create them can be considered manmade). Just like those textiles the scene designed for the Soviet revolution, they too were covering many functions from tie designs to wallpapers (Webb 2013).

How could this curiosity be preserved then, for our times when the consequences of human activities fill us with anxiety and the effects are felt worldwide? What can textiles do to keep us comfortable

Fig. 4. & 5. “Waves” and “Belts and Gears” prints for Ivanovo-Voznesensk Fac-

But despite their tories (Lloyd Cotsen Collection 1927-32) controlled nature, these designs are valuable representations – and lift our spirits whilst also take of what could be considered the dawn of responsibility, both with their production the Anthropocene. means and their message? These questions

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ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Fig. 6. & 7. “Boric Acid” wallpaper by William Odell and “Insulin” wallpaper by Dorothy Hodgkins for John Line and Sons for the Festival of Britain (John Line and Sons 1951)

are the main driving force of the project and I intend to look for an answer with the design process.

3// RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PRACTICE In this section, I detail how I identified the themes that best represent the Anthropocene and all the methodologies used to develop them into contemporary textile designs, starting with visual research, then the detailed descriptions behind the collections.

3/1 VISUAL RESEARCH First I needed to establish what the Anthropocene looks like at all? I attempted to look for answers with a photodocumentation process. This consisted of four separate documents titled “Industrial Lace” (representing pylons), “Placeless homes” (of functional human spaces), “Round/About” (of the brutalist new town of Glenrothes), and “Traces of Prosperity” (of close-up photographs of decaying industrial and building materials).

With these separate themes, my intention was to cover the widest possible range of human-built landscapes. I aimed to use the “starkest”, visually most outstanding representations of the Anthropocene, which, I suspected, received the most negative press.

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

3/1/1 PYLONS These structures are in the background of many of our lives and this overlooked, everyday setting served the starting point of the research. Instead of the Bechers’ way of object study, focusing on the varying details of these structures, I intended to examine them in their original environment and the sentiment they might provoke.

The photos were separated by location and I selected my images from four countries where I took the most photographs of these structures: Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia and Scotland. I decided to start with Iceland, because it is a sparsely populated country and when leaving towns behind, people can find themselves in extreme landscapes where anything man-made stands out prominently.

Due to the volcanic activity, some landscapes have no vegetation, and the soil is covered in deep black ash, which is the only thing human eyes can see for miles. In such a landscape, having a familiar structure, seeing something recognised for transporting electricity to homes was a comforting thought for me, a reminder that even though I was far away from everything, I was not lost and people still were close.

Comparably, the photos taken elsewhere induced different feelings as they were found in well-built or at least more ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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cultivated landscapes. They blended in as an equal part of the landscape, and some of them were even painted for safety reasons, which added new, playful colours to the view.

My appreciation and positive sentiments towards these structures ar e rarely shared, as I find they are usually considered to be ruining a landscape, rather than adding, or fitting into it.

Industrial structures and electricity pylons in p articular have always attracted public attention and usually negative press. “The first went up in July 1928 (…) But only after a vociferous anti-pylon campaign, says urban historian Bill Luckin” (Lane 2011) Other industrial structures, such as wind turbines, also divide opinions, “the visual effect (…) is considered the most influential factor for opposition.” (Petrova 2014)

Perhaps for this reason, campaigns to re-design existing pylons took place in several countries to ease this public rejection (Lane 2011). One of the first ones happened in Iceland with a particularly interesting result and Choi+Shine Architects’ humanshaped designs “were highly commended” (Lane 2011). However, vast sculptures of humans in my view do not necessarily improve a landscape that is arguably upset by such structures – these are essentially the familiar pylon designs, except they are shaped after ourselves, and thus it appears that if anything, it is even more vain than something entirely functional. Much like a sculpture of those to be admired, it can be seen quite a strong enforcement of the separate “nature” Fig 8. & 9. Existing pylons in Iceland (Katona 2014) and proposed ones (Choi+Shine Architects and “man” ideas of 2011) the Holocene.

As one of the planned subject matter for the outcomes of this project, it was important to understand the source of this strong visual rejection. In a recent news report on the removal of redundant pylons in the Cairngorms (Kane 2017), a former objector against the Beauly-Denny power line described it stomach-churning (Kane 2017) and a former SSE Chairman said that this removal would “make the Cairngorms absolutely natural, as it should be” (Kane 2017).

It appears then, that despite Dilnot’s and Morton’s call not to separate ourselves

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from nature, there still seems to be an insistence to an idea of nature in which human-built structures are not welcome.

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In the Anthropocene, acceptance should be sought towards designs that are currently in place – in the UK, Iceland or elsewhere – as guided by Tanizaki’s principle, and therefore I take the view that an electricity pylon should be allowed to look like one. I intended to use their functional, lacey delicacy as a starting point for my designs. Bernd and Hilla Becher’s work show how this principle ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

the identifiable landmarks. How can we form attachment to the uniformed? The question I asked throughout this research is that if an object of design – particularly for domestic interiors – ends up being used in the everyday, then why could it not be a source of inspiration too?

An interesting point to add would be perhaps that of Rem Koolhaas, who blames the opposition to functional spaces for the appearance of placeless junkspaces, “the residue mankind leaves on the planet” (Koolhaas 2001). The very first sentence of his famous essay on this is clear: “Because we abhor the utilitarian, we have condemned ourselves to a life-long immersion of arbitrariness…” (Koolhaas 2001).

Fig 10. Montrose harbour included in “Placeless Homes” photo-documentation series (Katona 2015)

might work, but I needed to translate them into textile designs to show their beauty and ease the negative sentiments of living with them.

3/1/2 PLACELESSNESS For those functional, inhibited places, I prepared another document from my photographs which also inspired the textiles of the project. I titled it “Placeless homes”, as the depicted places seem uniformed and featureless, but still facilitate human actions such as work, leisure, travel, or residence. The images were then separated by these functions. The countries were deliberately not mentioned, as the uniformity of these places made them appear irrelevant.

The purpose of this document was to explore atmospheres of everyday scenes and examine how I could incorporate these sentiments into textiles to make us appreciate our locational realities, In a way, I was looking for topophilia in the featureless, as if preparing a “City Toile”, but without ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Such strong words and strictness is understandable from responsibility-bearing architects, however, for the user, the resident, all kinds of space, whether utilitarian or junk, is a space to use, everything can be a human space, whether to rest, work, or meeting friends in.

This view is strengthened by research (Kasemets 2014). The case study involved children in a photo-elicitation of their own neighbourhood of deprived Kopli (Tallinn, Estonia), described by the author as “full of social problems, reflected in the landscape through dirty, abandoned houses, drug needles, different types of ruined buildings and neglected landscapes.” (Kasemets 2014). However, completing the photographic research, “the children concluded unanimously that it was a beautiful and interesting place with a special kind of attraction (Kasemets 2014).

The response is compared to the work of another architect, Arne Maasik, who “focuses on specific structural patterns of the district’s landscape, (…) Street lighting, tramlines, platforms, traffic signs, fissured asphalt and other markers of the everyday are equally important.”

(Kasemets 2014) Another aspect of this sentiment is explored by a different study (Ameel and Tani 2012), conducted with participants who practice the informal sport of parkour, using the city, and particularly the ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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The evidence is clear: three out of the four original ‘New Towns’ of Scotland – as designated in the New Town Act of 1946 (McGovern 1968), has “won”, or been nominated to the “Carbuncle Award”, a title given to the Most Dismal Town in Scotland (Urban Realm n.d.), based on public voting. It was obvious then that there is a room for place-attachment to grow, and I saw this as an opportunity to develop this through textiles.

Fig 11. Arne Maasik’s photo from the “Tallinn” series (Maasik n. d.)

“placeless” suburbs as athletic tracks.

This “mapping of the city (…) not only shows an appreciation (…) of everyday environments but also of the aesthetics and emotional potential of banal spaces” (Ameel and Tani 2012).

This emotional potential not only feels close to what I also aimed at with my photo-documentation collecting my first ideas, but also what I intend to achieve with the textiles of this project, responding to Tanizaki’s claim. If everyday realities happens to be the Anthropocene, then it must be possible to show it on the outcomes of this project.

The photo-documentation focuses on one of these ill-famed towns: I took a photographing journey throughout Glenrothes, the second of the four original New Towns of Scotland (McGovern 1968). It’s situated in Central Fife, between Edinburgh and Dundee, and the area’s industrial heritage of mostly paper mills and some mining activities in the East Fife Coalfield was a basis of high hopes for a prosperous industrial centre at the time of its foundation. This belief was strengthened by the opening of the Rothes Colliery, which increased the town’s target population to 28.000 (Smith 1967). However, after only seven years of operation, the Rothes Colliery had to close due to difficulties of coal extraction (Smith 1967), and general

3/1/3 BRUTALISM Although some examples of uniformed housing units were explored in the “placeless” documentation detailed previously, I was interested in this in more detail, not just in the buildings themselves but in the town planning and layout too. I suspected, that – just like the pylons – modernist, and particularly brutalist architecture might have similarly negative reputations.

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Fig 12. & 13. The Glenwood Centre, Glenrothes, part of the visual research document on the town. (Katona 2016)

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

industrial decline in later decades also hit the area. This journey however also made me wonder, whether – just like with pylons – is it all down to the “abhor at the utilitarian”, in the words of Koolhaas, or could there be more to the rejection of this type of architecture?

And crucially, is their apparent state of neglect a cause or a consequence of this disregard?

Some answers are material: these buildings were created in great need to provide housing for low-income families, and unfortunately some of them were built with such lack of care - some were even paid for by piecework (Curtis 1984), that it resulted in some cases inhabitable and rather short-lived homes.

thinks (blocks of flats) are poor, grey and devastating. So he tried to show the exact opposite.” (Klág and Szémann 2017).

The homeliness and affection seen on Balco’s pictures is also strengthened by a Norwegian study (Nymoen Rørtveit

Fig 14. Couple kissing at the canalside in Bazin, from the Suburbs series

Some mistakes were also of Andrej Balco (Balco n. d.) made in the planning and Setten 2015), which was conducted process, it was evident in Glenrothes with residents of an Oslo housing estate too: a pedestrian underpass had to be (describing detailed, positive sentiments filled in due to frequent flooding, and towards their estate). As the authors the strict separation of pedestrians and point out, the residents’ responses were cars could have possibly contributed to focused on “what the landscape offers as the economic decline of its retailers. home”, contrasting with “how experts often These could undeniably be reasons behind describe housing estates as what these their rejection, however, the ideas and landscapes lack” (Nymoen Rørtveit and the intentions that produced this style Setten 2015). This sentiment corresponds of architecture were progressive and with previous discussions of accepting democratic, and the style itself was the Anthropocene, but also relates to innovative at the time. As such I see no Glenrothes too, and could be translated reason to reject all results, particularly quite literally, to be taken into domestic in the Anthropocene, when we are facing interiors on textile patterns. an urging housing crisis again.

The acceptance I seek with my designs have basis in this: these housing units are first and foremost homes to people, and therefore place attachments can and do exist. It is evident on the images of Slovakian photographer Andrej Balco, who attempted to give an insight into the lives of the one third of Slovakians residing in factory-built blocks of flats (Klág and Szémann 2017). Behind his project titled “Suburbs”, the idea was that “everyone ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Therefore the purpose of my photos were not just to study shapes, materials and atmospheres, but also to serve as raw materials, a digital sourcebook of the blocks of buildings, underpasses and concrete sculptures that can be integrated into textiles.

3/1/4 SURFACES The last visual research document I compiled consisted of detailed and magnified images of industrial and building materials found ANTHROPOCENE // DESIGN REPORT

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remnants “are significant in constructions for place identity for many (but not all) residents” (Wheeler 2014). However, when my intention is facilitating further discoveries and to exform, using memories to build on will not be enough.

Memories are not the only way in which ruins, or other obsolete industrial units can function, and such decaying industrial places can be seen as Fig 15. Peeling paint in Montrose harbour (Katona 2015) “geographical spaces of curiosity” (Phillips 2014). in various human-built environments. These This kind of re-discovery and curiosity were grouped together by materials (wood, is a sentiment I wish to achieve with metal, brick/concrete, and glass), to textiles and I was keen to find them in serve as a study of texture and colour, my visual research. to inform the textile designs of the project. In many ways, it is a close-up Present functions of disused industrial look of the previous themes explored, spaces might not always take a controlled what industrial spaces and brutalist shape, but they do exist: Tim Edensor architecture are made of.

(2005) refers to it as a liberation from the constraints of the city as ruins While not all of them were abandoned or are free to interpret and to discover decaying, signs of wear by simple daily - evidenced by the Kasemets study too use were visible on all photographs, and (2014). Such free interpretations could these details can be seen paralleling include informal sports such as parkour geological patterns, making it a very direct visualisation of the Anthropocene. Such industrial traces can also have their own “topophilia”: these may be built on memories, since these spaces are or used to be workplaces, and could become particularly important in looking for the attachments for the “everyday”, outwith the official narratives of history and heritage, into the personal and informal.

In a way, I was looking for traces of these activities, but unlike Balco’s photographs of tower block residents, I intended to find the memories on the objects themselves. As a recent study of mining memories in a Cumbria village confirmed (Wheeler 2014), this was entirely possible, and such

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Fig 16. “Industrial Landscape RFM52752287” carpet pattern by Tom Dixon (Ege Carpets 2016)

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

- as strengthened by the previously cited Finnish study (Ameel and Tani 2012), or arts and “music (such as the notorious warehouse raves of the early 1990s)” (DeSilvey and Edensor 2012).

This relationship between past and present in the decaying industrial spaces emphasises the temporality of these human environments, and draws parallels with the cycles of nature and our own phases of economic prosperity and decline. The “disorderly aesthetics of ruins” (Edensor 2005), is the result of an organic process as decay happens under external circumstances of weather and vegetation.

However, it can bring many previous traces of human activities to the surface and as various layers of paints peel off, it is yet another evidence of Dilnot’s and Morton’s Anthropocene idea of an unstrict and unsterile human world, not separate from nature but being one with it. This is a sentiment I intend to evoke on some textile designs too.

Finding this pattern is not alien to textile designs, a critically acclaimed contemporary example being Tom Dixon’s and Ege carpets’ rug collection titled “Industrial Landscapes”, featuring “repetitive motifs based on shapes found in streets and buildings around the city, including paving slabs, bricks and railway backdrops.” (Tucker 2016)

for one collection I titled “Grids”.

The word itself could be interpreted as referring to the electricity grids, but also more widely on the lacey structure of oil rigs and gas tanks, and the mapped grids of transportation networks too.

The second collection is informed by residential landscapes, titled “Blocks”, which is a reference to blocks of flats, building blocks, but also more widely on the new town layout of underpasses and roundabouts formed of concrete.

A third collection then serves as a closeup look of the materials, titled “Cracks”, referring to the uneven, decaying surface of post-industrial materials, traces of human activities.

I believe these three, distinct collections serve as sufficient interpretations of the Anthropocene and its visual scenery.

In the next section, the design process behind each of them is explained in more detail.

3/2 COLLECTION 1. “GRIDS” The designs for this collection are based on industrial landscapes, which include the infrastructure for energy (e.g. electricity pylons, gas tanks), and transportation grids too (e.g. rail networks, sign systems).

These carpets are not too far away from the microscopic view of the Festival of Britain textiles, and these contemporary examples are strengthening the case for textiles’ capability to “exform”, to re-introduce the excitement towards rediscovering our everyday environments.

3/1/5 DEFINING COLLECTIONS The next step after visual research was then to identify how the Anthropocene would be best represented on the textile collections. As I was satisfied with the subject matters I covered, I intended to develop separate collections from them.

Pylons on their own would have been too narrow as a visualisation of the Anthropocene, thus I extended them to other landscapes of industry and transportation ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Fig 17. Starting point of the “Grids” patterns as digital drawings. (Katona 2015)

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The starting point of the project were drawings of electricity pylons, simplified, cartoonesque, “friendly” images, as this humanising, less rigid approach seemed an obvious direction to take to tackle the disregard towards them.

These designs were drawn by pencil and at first glance they defied the purpose of the intended “grid-aesthetics”, giving them too much craft-appeal, so they were straightened in vector graphic software, and other, new grids (inspired by gas tanks and oil rigs) were introduced to complete an initial collection. I was interested in the geometry of these strict structures but I was undecided about many elements and colours to use. As soon as there were any initial designs to show, I was looking for guidance from a potential audience and conducted a focus group research of sixteen Interior Design students at Heriot-Watt University.

3/2/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH As well as early feedback, I was looking for answers on the potential effect they could have achieving an acceptance towards Anthropocene landscapes. The participants were shown images of my inspirations from the photo-documentation I had conducted, and as well as the initial patterns themselves, a rendered room using those

patterns. The results were helpful in further development and helped identify the more successful designs.

Notably, the most popular design had the boldest colour, and a somewhat more abstract pattern, while the least popular one had the most recognisable industrial form on it. I received interesting remarks on the related photographs too: “threatening”, “cold”, “scary” they wrote on the pylon image, and “boring”, “uninspired”, “cold” were some of the words on the gas tank image.

This strengthened my view that these places and structures are seriously disregarded and there is a potential to achieve something more positive with the finished designs, but they need to be more friendly, more human and I was drawn to introducing back the craft appeal that I took away from the pencil drawings.

Instead of going back though, I was looking for other techniques and it seemed that stitching and a simple line embroidery could perhaps be a more “friendly” way of representing a steel grid on textiles.

3/2/2 STITCHING Combining stitching and printing not only seemed a good choice due to its craft appeal but also for the potential in layering separate designs together, which could

Fig 18.& 19. The most popular, and the least popular patterns selected by the focus group. (Katona 2016)

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ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

make more 3-dimensional patterns with haptic qualities that invite the user for interaction, facilitating a bond between the user and motif – the Anthropocene.

terms of visual outcome, however, screen printing and fibre-reactive dyes would not have been considered a particularly sustainable solution. While I aim to embrace the Anthropocene, this could only be achieved if we do not make it worse in terms of environmental damage.

Industry has enormous responsibility in shaping the Anthropocene, and as such, designers of this age must take responsibility for the production process.

As well as the combined technique, I considered creating direct grids using water-soluble fabrics, onto which thread and fabrics, or even paper can be stitched and only that remains after the fabric is washed out. This could create a layer of shadows, however, the resulting pieces are The solution I found not universal fabrics originated in a and can’t serve too separate design m a n y f u n c t i o n s , Fig. 20. “Oil rig” shaped net, made of different project concerning therefore they can thickness of yarns with water soluble fabric (Katona industrial heritage, 2017) only be completions, which has drawn my final additions to the attention to block collection, rather than printing, and also jute. the main ingredient.

3/2/3 BLOCK PRINTING It allows some freedom Block printing is one though, to create nonof the most ancient way repeating grids instead of printmaking, and and be more “artistic”, survived many years creating one-off pieces in British traditions, and breaking away from largely thanks to the a continuous pattern, as Arts & Crafts movement there will be repeating and early modernists elements in the form such as Enid Marx of the printed fabrics.

(Powers 1992).

The main component of Creating wood blocks this collection would with carving is a still then be created skill in itself alone, with the combination but I was interested of print and stitch. whether it was possible The first attempt at to create computer this combined technique generated designs for happened with screen printing blocks, fusing printing, samples a high-tech, industrial were pre-embroidered Fig. 21. Pre-stitched linen overprinted (screen printing, 2 colours with reactive process into this agethen overprinted with dyes), based on the most popular pattern of old way of printing. two colours, based on the focus group research. (Katona 2017) the motif and colour Using a laser-cutter of choice of the focus group. The base seemed like an affordable solution and material of choice for this experiment was although it is impossible to engrave deep unbleached linen, which I was intent on enough into a thick piece of wood, two using as a more sustainable material. I layers of plywood - one with the design considered this a successful experiment in cut through and a backing board – glued ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

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Designing them, I kept in mind to make them combinable, because design elements that repeat in various textiles strengthen the consistency of the collection. I made the majority of blocks the same size, to be able to print with them in a chess-board pattern, resulting in deconstructed elements that are playful and leave enough space for the fabric’s original colour to play a role – which became important as my attention turned towards jute.

Fig. 22. Printing blocks made with a laser-cutter, glued together on a backing board (alongside with digital sketches) (Katona 2017)

together created a successful printing block. This further strengthened my view that the technological advancements that led to many of the circumstances of the Anthropocene need not mean a complete divorce and alienation from our history and our own design roots and processes.

Referencing traditions in the process might also help form attachment to the present.

A block design created this way doesn’t allow a particularly thin, grid-like pattern that was seen on the initial designs, they could however still resemble industrial elements. I kept some rigid crosses that could make up a printed grid, but it also allowed me to introduce transportation as an inspiration with greater influence, with the final blocks reminiscent of semaphore signals and motorway road signage.

Fig. 23. Aberdeen harbour and the extracted colour scheme for the collection (Katona 2017)

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3/2/4 JUTE I encountered jute in research of Dundee’s heritage, for a separate design project, however, its golden colour and sustainable qualities caught my imagination and I decided to introduce it to this project.

The type of cloth I sourced happened to come in a rough quality with a fibrous surface that further enhanced the industrial appeal of the project and I expected it to balance out the outcomes should they appear too “crafty”, resulting in nostalgia rather than a contemporary reference to the Anthropocene.

Its sustainability is another significant factor which made decide to use it, as it is “produced from annually renewable sources” and “can be grown naturally without the use of chemical fertilisers”, amongst some other sustainability benefits.

(Rana et al. 2014) The particular version I decided to use is also unbleached, further enhancing the view that product design of the Anthropocene does not have to increase its negative impacts.

Fig. 24. & 25. Rig towers in Dundee and pylon in Hungary, showing how the chosen colours appear in the Anthropocene. (Katona 2017)

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

base material (in this case, the unbleached, industrial jute), and fitting into contemporary trends must also be considered for a successful end result that seeks public acceptance.

For this first collection, after an elimination process, my choice fell on reds and blues from a warehouse in Aberdeen harbour, as these colours are also found on the grids of oil rigs in Dundee and electricity pylons in Hungary too, therefore the colours are not distanced from the subject matter.

Fig. 26. Overstitched woodblock prints on jute, sampled on prototypes as the final outcomes of the “Grids� collection (Katona 2017)

3/2/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE To compile a final collection I needed a consistent colour scheme to pull it together and fit them into interiors. It was important that the colours originate from (and relate back to) the Anthropocene, thus I turned back to my photo-documentation research and selected 15 images with prominent colours from which I drew the colour schemes digitally, to help establish separate schemes for each collection.

I aimed at covering a full spectrum of colours with these 15 images, but I intended to keep them together for each colour scale as they were seen on the photographs to keep an authentic relationship to the man-made landscapes. There had to be practical guiding principles too, considering what stands out most on the ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Another reason for my decision was that these colours match the raw material, contrasting the jute well, and together I noticed their nautical feel, which I discovered was popular in contemporary interiors (Picard and Brunker 2016). As some industrial elements and materials proved to be already present in trends, oil rigs and jute then perhaps need not be a giant leap from anchors and hemp ropes.

The final outcomes consist of 10 designs in total, with 8 block printed pieces on jute, completed with overstitched patterns, and 2 stitched hangings created with water-soluble fabrics, using thread, twine ropes and red and blue metallic wires to emphasise the industrial inspirations and connect them to the printed pieces.

Some prototypes, 2 cushions and 1 lampshade were made of the printed pieces too to demonstrate how they might fit into the contemporary home. I believe these designs are successfully balanced out in resembling the industrial influences enough to spark an interest in these environments, but at the same time being also abstract and simplified enough not to intimidate and alienate instead.

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3/3 COLLECTION 2. “BLOCKS” The second collection designed in this project are inspired by residential architecture, specifically, the Brutalist style of the 1960s and the new town of Glenrothes. Beginning the design process digitally, straight from images seemed an obvious starting point. The initial designs were thus quite photographic, with direct references to Glenrothes landmarks. Is it possible to provoke curiosity whilst also building on familiarity? In what proportions should the recognisable elements appear?

I was undecided, and some of the initial designs were quite abstract, while others were very direct, not particularly consistent in showing a collection, and again I was looking for further guidance to help find a direction – from the focus group survey conducted with Interior Design students.

3/3/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH Participants were shown 7 patterns in detail, a room image, modelled on furniture as repeats, and just like with the previous collection, some images of inspiration, inviting participants to add their thoughts.

The most popular pattern was a Glenrothes landmark arranged in bold ring section

shapes resembling the town’s roundabouts, and the least popularly scored pattern was an abstract interpretation of a newer building’s façade (of Fife Council’s offices in central Glenrothes). The most positive comments were received on the overall colour palette of the patterns, even though this was not particularly consistent, the use of pale mint greens and blues were scoring high.

Another interesting remark received was regarding the photographic nature of the patterns – the building shapes and town landmarks were used wholly, without separating them from their original context (e.g. trees and bushes were visible alongside the buildings) and as such, a few respondents were distracted by the natural elements and wrote that they liked how “nature” and “plant life” contrasts with the patterns. This idea of “nature” against “human” was opposite to my intentions and this was a good warning to make my patterns more abstract and lessen photographic emphasis.

Someone also wrote that a particularly photographic pattern depicting Raeburn Heights, a residential tower block in Glenrothes reminded them of “TV news, unsure why”, and another participant mentioned that these tower blocks signalled an image of poverty, and although it could be “cool and edgy, like Shameless”, they could not

Fig. 27. & 28. The most popular and the least popular pattern of the “Blocks” series as selected by the focus group. (Katona 2016)

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ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Fig. 29. & 30. Initial pattern designs of the “Blocks” series, keeping some of the photographic details.

(Katona 2016)

forget the negative connotations. To the pictures of inspiration, someone commented that their grandmother used to live in “one of those flats” (of Glenwood Centre) in Glenrothes, and that “it brought back happy memories – not so nice now though”. This confirmed my views on place attachments based on personal memories but as my intentions were also to open up patterns for curiosity and “exform”, I needed to move away slightly from the familiar.

3/3/2 DIGITAL PRINTING Although I intended to move the patterns into more abstract shapes, I was still keen to keep designing them digitally, directly from photographs and keep some of their details and I decided that this collection will be produced with digital printing.

in electricity consumption by 30% and entirely eliminated by-production of waste dyes” (Gupta 2015) amongst others. These benefits can be further emphasised by the use of more sustainable fabrics such as linen which also comes in coarser textures, interacting with the prints on a 3-dimensional level.

This textural interplay, and working with light, shadows and haptic qualities is sought in all the designs of this project, but there was a different idea in this collection: instead of adding an extra layer to the prints, is it possible to take it away?

3/3/3 LASER CUTTING

My attention turned It fits into the project towards laser aims to produce to cutting, which allows sustainable standards, precise, digitally as digital printing designed holes to be Fig. 31. Breaking up the photos, attempting a has some significant more abstract pattern. (Katona 2017) cut into the printed environmental benefits fabrics, adding an compared to screen printing, such as extra dimension to them whilst taking “reduction in wastewater by 60%, reduction away some of the material.

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

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Fig. 32. & 33. Laser-cutting pattern combined with digital print, and the shapes created. (Katona 2016)

The idea behind using this technique is the purpose of using shadows. Tanizaki’s essay (1933) ponders long on the beauty of dimly lit rooms, and it finds its way in contemporary thought on the urban landscape too, as Tim Edensor (2015) writes: “rather than being lamented, the re-emergence of urban darkness (…) might be conceived as an enriching and re-enchantment of the temporal and spatial experience of the city at night” (Edensor 2015). I find this a suitable, 21st century solution to the Anthropocene landscapes filled with obsolete, post-industrial buildings and neglected 20th century architecture, because this is yet another way of embracing this presence.

In my view, patterns that are not only printed, but work in another dimension as shadows too, could contribute to an elevated urban interior, facilitating the space for curiosity and creating affective atmospheres and ambience in contemporary urban homes.

Two main challenges arose from this technique: accuracy and fabric integrity.

The problem of accuracy occurred due to

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of the shadows it

the imperfections of printed textiles.

Although digital printing can produce more exact designs, due to fabric shrinkage and wrinkling, the holes cut in the machine come out slightly differently to how they are planned on screen. Therefore instead of holes that directly correspond with the print, I designed independent patterns that relate to the prints and take their angles and shapes into consideration, but do not require them to be placed accurately.

Fabric integrity had to be also considered: if the holes are placed too densely next to each other on the print, it weakens the entire structure of the fabric and could make it unable to function. Thus, even though densely placed, lace-like structures make interesting shadows, I had to carefully balance between print and cut.

3/3/4 DEVORÉ Due to this damaging nature of laser cutting, I became interested in other options that could still produce shadows, but keep the fabric together, and my attention ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

turned towards devoré. Even though the paste is applied with screen printing and requires heat pressing, making this process not particularly environmentally friendly, I introduced it into the project because it only burns a layer away, preserving the integrity of the fabric, and allowing a greater complexity of patterns.

Keeping the fabric integrity also allowed greater functionality of the fabrics variety of prototypes and possible uses took priority for the project outcomes.

more coarse linens and at the end of the day, the variety of textures benefits the collection and allows wider uses.

Screen printing the devoré paste, like laser cutting, could also produce some challenges in accurate matching, therefore I designed independent patterns that relate to the print, rather than directly corresponding with it.

3/3/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE

To blend this variety of textures and patterns into a collection, I needed a consistent colour scheme, and I used the The base textiles same colour selection were still printed process as detailed in the digitally to match previous collection. For the other elements these patterns though, I in the collection and intended to use yellows. keep it consistent Fig. 34. Digital print combined with devoré I found that this was applied with screen printing (Katona 2017) (and to reduce some popular in interior trends environmental impact), (Riberti 2016) and I also however, the selection of digitally held the belief that it could contrast and printable devoré fabrics were limited. elevate the brutalist, concrete blocks I have used silk viscose satin to the which the patterns represent. collection, which has a silky sheen to it, for which I was not keen on initially, but My first choice of colour scheme originated I accepted it as another place for light from a bright yellow painted door in to come into play. It also contrasts the Montrose harbour, but the rust and the

Fig. 35. Montrose harbour and the colour scheme extracted from it (Katona 2017)

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Fig. 36. Cabin on the Isle of Skye, and the colour scheme extracted - with teal and mustard hues.

(Katona 2017)

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burgundy colour of the iron bar on the image resulted in undesirable, dated colour effects that were not only taking inspiration from the era of prosperity of 1960s and 70s Glenrothes but were taking directly back to it. As previously discussed, my intention is not recreating memories and nostalgia but the opposite: to show these landscapes in a previously undiscovered aesthetics, therefore I looked for different colour variations.

Further trend research showed (May 2016) that a more mustard yellow might be more fashionable, particularly with dark blues and teal colours.

I wondered whether such colour combinations appear in the Anthropocene landscape at all, but I found a photo of an abandoned cabin, with yellow and turquoise and teal paints peeling off it, and I decided to Fig. 37. Digitally printed and laser-cut linens and silk devoré source the colour scheme lampshades as the final outcomes of the “Blocks” collection (Katona 2017) from this image. It also corresponds to the the devoré patterns cut or burnt into focus group’s responses earlier, who were them, giving an almost three-dimensional commending the use of “fresh” colours. feel to these textiles.

The pattern designs themselves went through some significant changes as I decided after the focus group feedback, I intended to reference Glenrothes in more abstract ways (not just with photographs). I took the shapes of underpasses, overpasses, roundabouts, building façades and the landmarks too, and I used them in vector graphic softwares, filled with their photographic image with decreased opacity, then placed them in an overlapping pattern, creating a floating, playful layout of concrete blocks. I believed this transparency of the print elements gives further significance to the laser-cut and

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The final collection consists of 10 textiles in total, 5 printed on linen with laser cuts, and 5 printed on silk with devoré burnouts, of which two lampshades are made as proposed prototypes to fit into urban interiors. Their ultimate intention is to present this type of architecture in an inviting, more positive light, drawing attention to their geometric details and depths with the negative layering.

Interestingly, a new layer of meaning was unintentionally added when I learnt that the former CO-OP building in Glenrothes - featuring as a landmark on one of the ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

patterns - is facing demolition (and renovation is not an option due to the building’s asbestos cladding). (Henderson 2017). In some ways then holding memories became an additional function of the outcomes of this project.

I certainly do not regret this, as Nymoen Rørtveit and Setten’s study (2015) pointed out earlier the differences between personal histories and the official

heritage discourse, perhaps these textiles could be seen a physical response to it, an alternative “keepsake” for Glenrothes histories.

3/4 COLLECTION 3. “CRACKS” The third collection of textiles features a close-up look of industrial surfaces, and my photographs were also the starting point of the design process. My initial idea was to arrange them in a tile system. This was partly inspired by some of the decaying ceramic surfaces photographed, but I also suspected that a tile arrangement could be a way of consolidating the raw and undesired industrial surfaces, and create seamless repeats as evenly as possible – in an attempt to reduce these sometimes vast and intimidating surfaces to a human scale.

I was open-minded about the colour options initially and apart from attempting to cover a wide range of materials and surfaces with the patterns, I was unsure of how it would be possible to create a consistent collection, and as previously, this was also helped by the focus group of Interior Design students.

3/4/1 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH The participants were shown 7 detailed images of patterns, along with a rendered bedroom.

The most popular pattern here was featuring peeling wood arranged in a scallop pattern, and the least popular one was of fallen square tiles arranged in a grid, with some comments mentioning that they “don’t like the red”.

Fig. 38. & 39. The most popular and the least popular patterns of the “Cracks” collection as selected by the focus group. (Katona 2016)

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

Participants noted the heavy and industrial look of them, with some commenting that they were “busy”, “dark”, and even “masculine”.

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Fig. 40, 41. & 42: Crystallised chemicals on the surface of the jute after coating it with a sponge, printing blurring on it as it caught on the print heads, and the steamed and washed result, with the dye failing to fix to the fabric. (Katona 2017)

to the other collections, could still be intimidating to an audience and a more friendly interpretation is needed.

3/4/2 DIGITAL PRINTING As the photographs captured the details of these industrial surfaces so well, I intended to print these digitally too, and to keep sustainable principles in mind again, I had a preference for linen. However, as opposed to the second collection, in which the lightness of the fabric was important, I decided to use an unbleached version for these surfaces, to emphasise the rough and industrial nature of the prints (and reduce environmental impacts).

Then I wondered, if this could be taken any further and if it’s possible to print digitally on an even more coarse and raw industrial surface? For an answer, I was turning to jute again.

3/4/3 JUTE I started experimenting with the same unbleached, “sacking” quality jute that was used for the first, block printed collection, but I insisted on keeping the photographic details and I attempted

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to print digitally on this fabric. This process bore many challenges due to the jute’s extremely fibrous surface and the rough weave quality.

Digital inkjet printing requires pretreatment of the fabrics to allow the dyes to fix, but I saw no reason why the process would not work with jute, as it is a natural fibre and reacts well with most dyes used for cotton and wool (Samanta et al. 2013).

My own initial experiments with the pretreatment also showed successes, however the fabric’s thickness and fibrousness posed some risks to the inkjet printer.

I intended to improve this by treating the jute on a flat surface, applying the coating with sponges and letting it dry lying in the solution, to let it soak it up completely and penetrate it into the fibres. However, this resulted in crystallisation of the surface, as the solution was not ringed out in order to keep the fabric flat. Printing was still attempted as the chemicals would be washed out regardless of the crystallisation, but the dye did not penetrate the fibres and did not fix, therefore this was an unsuccessful attempt.

I then returned to the previously successful ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

submersion bath, but this also provided faded results after steaming and washing.

I suspected that this was due to an inconsistent quality between different batches of jute and a neglect to vacuum clean it beforehand (which had been done prior to all the successful samples).

The batching process in manufacturing the jute could also result in excess oil or softener remaining in the fabric that could have caused dye fixing problems.

Another sampling process followed afterwards with positive results, particularly on those that were washed before.

The next attempts then were printed on jute which I previously vacuum cleaned, washed (in 30 °C to prevent shrinkage of the printable area, and without spin to prevent fraying of the loose fabric), and vacuum cleaned again. Interestingly, however, this made no difference to the outcome as the results were also faded, compared to the smaller samples.

the manufacturing process of the jute fabrics sourced to the exact conditions among which it was dyed.

On some panels, the directional fading of the pattern corresponded with the hanging drying method of the fabric, and for this reason I suspect that some components of the pre-treatment solution, or the dilution of it might require different proportions for the volume of fabrics I intended to coat.

However, to establish the exact required ratio to the fabric volumes would have required a series of time-consuming and costly experiments - and any success might still be mere speculation.

Therefore I had to accept that the jute prints of this collection will show lower colour saturations than those printed on linen.

This in itself does not present a problem as it fits into the distressed, decaying industrial theme of the collection.

Furthermore, digital printing is not the end stage yet - as the T h e e v i d e n c e o f Fig. 43. & 44. Faded results of the 2nd and 3rd attempts of printing larger panels of jute previous collections, t h i s s e r i e s o f digitally, with navy pigment overpaints to connect I also intended to e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n it to the linen patterns, and a successful, small sample showing the intended colours. (Katona 2017) add another layer suggested then that of texture to the the volume of the fabrics, and for these designs my attention solution and of the fabric may also play turned towards metallics. a role in the success of pre-treatment, as all the small samples seemed to have 3/4/4 METALLICS achieved sufficient hues, whilst none of I wondered whether on one hand combining the large panels did. the detailed photographs with linen and There could have also been a number of jute results in too rough surfaces, and on other factors causing this problem, from the other hand whether it is too artificial ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

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and mannered, to try and industrially reproduce such an organic and timely process as decay?

As with the previous collections, I was looking for another layer, an additional quality that could elevate the prints and raise the desired acceptance towards their subject matter, thus my attention turned towards metallic pigments. This could further emphasise the surface themes and add a luxurious finish too – fitting into current trends, particularly with my choice of copper (Home Design 2017).

on keeping (or else it would have been too costly to re-create with a number of screens and colours), and overprinting digital prints bore the same problems with inaccuracy as the devoré prints in the previous collection.

The metallic pattern thus had to be independent – but if it is the case then

Whilst Junichiro Tanizaki would probably disapprove using too many shiny things and the “glow of grime” (Tanizaki 1933), small, complementary amounts of metallic materials is found in the wabi-sabi aesthetics too, such as the craft of Kintsugi, the art of repairing broken earthenware with gold.

In a similar manner then, copper could be introduced to this collection.

Copper is used widely in many industries due to its conductive qualities, and therefore its application to this collection could be suitable. Its red hues could also resemble rustiness, and it is important to note that copper oxidises quickly, to

Fig. 46. Rusty skip container and the colour scheme extracted from it. (Katona 2017)

screen printing might not even be necessary, and hand painting with metallic pigments could provide sufficient – or even better results, due to its randomised, organic appeal.

Their application on the linen and the jute prints are different: whilst on the linen prints they were entirely randomised, on the more faded looking jute prints they corresponded more with the patterns. I also used dark blue pigments to enhance some of the colours, and to increase the consistency with the linen patterns.

Fig. 45. Screen printed patterns with metallic pigments (Katona 2017)

blue and turquoise shades. This patina appeal further emphasises the decaying industrial nature of the prints, whilst, applied in pigment form, it could also contrast the fibrous feel of the coarse industrial fabrics with its metallic sheen.

Initially I used screen printing to apply metallic pigments on a jute surface, however on their own it lost some of the photographic details of decay I insisted

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3/4/5 FINAL OUTCOMES AND THEIR PLACE As with the previous collection, I also turned to the colours of the Anthropocene to establish a colour scheme that could pull these patterns together. I was less hesitant in selecting the colours for these patterns – the photo I chose is taken of a decaying industrial surface itself, a rusting skip container served the base colours for these prints.

It was important to consider that jute and unbleached linen have their own colours ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

and I was interested in cold, blue and grey hues to contrast them – and to match the oxidising copper shades too.

These colours also compliment the tile arrangements of the prints: turquoise and cyan tones are found on the ancient glazed ceramics from Portugal to Turkey, and completing these with the metallic copper finish could add a rustic, worn twist to existing interior trends of “glamourous luxury” (Barton-Breck 2016).

This collection shows parallels of natural and organic processes with human cycles of economic surge and decline, thus erasing boundaries between man and nature, presenting the Anthropocene in a contemporary, holistic manner, and just like the block printing process in the

The finished collection consists of 10 patterns in total, 5 printed digitally on unbleached, natural linen and 5 on natural jute. Two lampshades, with a bronze lining (matching the rusty brown and the metallic copper colour too), and two cushions were created as prototypes to demonstrate how they might fit into the contemporary urban home.

The two separate components have different functions: whilst the prints on the linen have kept their photographic details, on the jute, they are taken away, giving a larger role of the coarse texture Fig. 47. The final results of the “Cracks” collection, digitally printed of the fabric itself. linen and jute with metallic pigment overpaints. (Katona 2017) Thus, they could both be considered successful, despite the first collection, this too proves – with challenges faced in practice. Establishing the tile arrangements – that ancient working methods of printing digitally crafts and arts need not be forgotten onto jute could be subject of further in order to facilitate new discoveries. research. The pigments and the metallic finish however emphases their industrial What is left to discuss now is what nature and adds the level of curiosity these three distinct collections achieve overall in terms of our newly declared I set out to achieve. geological age.

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4// FINDINGS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Each collection was created around a different theme of representing the Anthropocene. The final questions to ask then are, what connects these designs and how could they be seen responding to challenges of the Anthropocene? Do they achieve anything at all?

4/1 WHAT CONNECTS THESE DESIGNS? Whilst these textiles are different in their appearance, approach, and techniques even, they were all designed with the aim to address some challenges of the Anthropocene, such as place detachment in an increasingly urbanised setting and pollution by irresponsible production processes.

The latter is addressed in the material choice: fabrics with sustainability benefits such as jute and linen is present in all of these collections, and the printing processes, such as digital and wood block printing also seek to reduce environmental damage, which is a direct a response to the call of taking responsibility towards life in the Anthropocene.

Using these materials and processes must however come in aesthetic qualities that help raise acceptance towards them and our newly defined human age - after all, sustainability as an aim would not be achieved by offering unbleached, uncostly jute alone for instance. These have to be also seen as acceptable, or even desirable options, textiles to live with, by a wider audience, to consider it a success, and therefore acceptance was also one of the main aims of this project.

This is not a vague notion but direct and material, visible on all outcomes too.

What is found on all three collections, are print designs with another visual layer to them, whether it is positive in the form of embroidery or overpaint or negative in the form of cut-outs or burn-outs.

These are textiles with depths and the additional qualities connect to the user

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on a more direct level. They are not just prints to look at, but to touch, feel, move and re-interpret – use.

4/2 HOW DO THEY RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES TO THE ANTHROPOCENE? As discussed at the start of this report, the Anthropocene presents many challenges, such as climate change, pollution and urbanisation, but we also gained an awareness of how we are responsible for it and what powers we possess to influence the environment.

For this reason then, raising acceptance towards industrial materials such as jute, and introducing it into the contemporary home as a primary surface of decoration, is a way of influencing design practice towards more responsible attitudes.

Textile objects are also portable, and could be used potentially throughout a lifetime of moving homes. In a decreasing rate of home-ownership, designers must offer ways to customise and personalise homes in uncostly and less permanent ways, for which textiles could serve an answer.

Therefore what these soft furnishings look like becomes particularly important.

Their application to prototypes, such as lampshades and cushions aim to strengthen this aim and serve the ideas on how they may be used and how they may fit into a contemporary urban home.

Whilst the designs seek to induce more positive attitudes towards the Anthropocene, and therefore are directly inspired by it, I did not intend to give these designs too many direct meanings, and are instead simplified, evenly scaled interpretations.

They are not uncritical celebrations, or admirations of the age of man in the fashion of the avantgarde movements: they simply draw attention to some of the hidden aesthetics of the Anthropocene, and where we might beauty in it, listening to Tanizaki to seek it in the present, and to Kenya Hara to encourage engagement and discovery, as in my view it needs to be accepted and embraced in order to make it truly comfortable for ourselves.

ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

4/3 WHAT DO THEY ACHIEVE? To find out whether my aims have been

achieved, I have conducted one final survey to measure some potential effects of these designs. Small samples of the planned outcomes were shown at a Work In Progress exhibition at Heriot-Watt University, and the respondents were members of the general public (visitors to the University’s Degree Showcase.)

The samples exhibited were already featuring the finalised colour schemes, and the practices and techniques were established along with the materials used.

The questionnaire asked the participants’ current home environments and how they feel about where they lived. I also asked them what they think of industrial elements in general, whether they noticed this inspiration on the textiles, and how this changes their opinion towards both the textiles seen and the landscapes in question.

that they would live with these textiles in their own home, which I confidently take as a successful result of this project.

Measuring abstract notions, such as atmospheres and place attachments is difficult, but this final survey confirms that these textiles do achieve the aims set out with this project: they provoke thought, response, curiosity, and have the potential to create a stronger bond with our presence in the Anthropocene.

I have a firm belief that the objects we use on a daily basis play an enormous role in how we feel about our place. This research confirmed my view, that people are not only powerful influencers of their environment, but also ready to adapt to it. I hope this report successfully confirms that textile designs can take part in the building of a responsible Anthropocene – and ultimately finding curiosity, comfort, and contentment in it.

41 respondents filled in the questionnaire in total, and the majority (25) responded that they do see industrial elements (pylons, warehouses, etc) where they live. All respondents were scoring high on how they feel about their home area though: on a scale of ten, the average score was 8.13.

When asked on their opinion on industrial landscape elements in general, those who saw them scored them higher (6), whilst those who were not exposed to their sights were much stricter (4.125), which suggests some adaptability, and thus ground for further exploration and an opportunity for the textiles to achieve their aims too.

The textiles on display also scored high (7.8), and only 9 respondents admitted they did not see the industrial influences in them. Most crucially though, being aware of this inspiration, 12 respondents admitted a positive difference in opinion towards the textiles, and 10 even admitted this towards the landscapes too.

Whilst 10 out of 41 respondents in total are a minority, it is not insignificant, and certainly worth exploring further. 35 respondents out of the total of 41 said ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

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5// REFERENCES 5/1 TEXT Alberts, P. 2011 “Responsibility towards life in the early Anthropocene”, Angelaki, 16:4 pp. 5-17.

Ameel, L. and Tani, S. 2012 “Everyday aesthetics in action: Parkour eyes and the beauty of concrete walls” Emotion, Space and Society 5 (2012) 164-173 Barton-Breck, J. 2016 “Top 10 home interior trends for spring/summer 2016”, Real Homes Magazine, 23 February 2016, Online edition, Available at: https://www.realhomesmagazine.co.uk/ design/top-10-home-interior-trends-forspringsummer-2016/ [Last Accessed: 02 August 2017] Blasdel, A. 2017 “A reckoning for our species: The philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene”, The Guardian, 15 June 2017, Online edition, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ jun/15/timothy-morton-anthropocenephilosopher [Last Accessed: 02 August 2017] Brady, H. 2017 “Deepest Place on Earth Contains ‘Extraordinary’ Pollution Levels”, National Geographic, News, Online Edition, Available at: http:// news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/ mariana-trench-pollution-pacific-oceanchemicals/ [Last Accessed: 02 August 2017] Buck, H. J. 2015 “On the Possibilities of a Charming Anthropocene”, Annals of the Associations of American Geographers, 105:2, pp. 369-377 Carrington, D. 2016 “The Anthropocene epoch: scientists declare dawn of human-influenced age” The Guardian, 29 August 2016, Online edition.

Available at https://www.theguardian. com/environment/2016/aug/29/declareanthropocene-epoch-experts-urgegeological-congress-human-impact-earth [Last Accessed: 03 August 2017] Chalmers, L. 2013 “Experiencing the Everyday: An Introduction”, Interiors, 4:3, 225-228.

Curtis, A. (dir) 1984 “The Great British Housing Disaster”, British Broadcasting Corporation, UK. Design Week 2005 “Timorous Beasties: Charming Prints”, Design Week, 20.4 Jan. 27 p.13 Design Week 2006 “Timorous Beasties design to be pulled by Rich Mix”, Design Week 21.19 May 11. p. 4 DeSilvey, C. and Edensor, T. 2012

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“Reckoning with ruins”, Progress in Human Geography, 37(4) 465-485 Dilnot, C. 2011 “Sustainability and Unsustainability in a World Become Artificial: Sustainability as a Project of History” Design Philosophy Papers, 9:2, pp. 103-155 Edensor, T. 2005 “Industrial Ruins”, Oxford : Berg.

Edensor, T. 2015 “The gloomy city: Rethinking the relationship between light and dark” Urban Studies, 52(3) 422-438 Grant, S. 2010 “Toiles de Jouy, French Printed Cottons 1760-1830”, London: V&A Publishing and New York: Harry N. Abrams Gupta, S. 2015 “Sustainability Perspective of Digital Textile Printing” Colourage Vol.62 No.3 pp. 107-109 Hara, K. 2007 “Designing Design” Baden: Lars Müller Publishing (4th Ed. 2014) Henderson, N. 2017 “Co-op demolition sparks hope for re-generation for Fife town”, Fife Today, 15 March 2017, Online edition, Available at: http:// www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/business/ co-op-demolition-plan-sparks-hope-ofregeneration-for-fife-town-1-4391953 [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Home Design, 2017 “Copper: One of the top interior design trends for 2017”, Home Design Magazine, 22 March 2017, Online edition, Available at: http:// www.homedesignideas.eu/copper-interiordesign-trends-2017/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Kachurin, P. J. 2007 “Soviet Textiles: Designing the Modern Utopia”, Boston: MFA Publications.

Kane, K. 2017 Reporting Scotland, BBC, Broadcast on 28 April 2017, Available at: https://learningonscreen. ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/ prog/0EC2724A?bcast=124026111&sub=BBC [Last Accessed: 22 July 2017] Kasemets, K. 2014 “Visual meaning-making in an underprivileged neighbourhood landscape: milieus and atmospheres” Visual Communication, Vol. 13(4):459-470 Klág, D., Szémann, T. 2017 “A négy fal között rejtõzik az igazi lakótelep” Index.hu, Online edition, available at http://index.hu/nagykep/2017/04/20/ szlovak_panelvilag/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Koolhaas, R. 2001 “Junkspace” as republished in “Junkspace/Running Room” 2013, London : Notting Hill Editions.

Lane, M. 2011 “Could pylons ever be pretty?” BBC World News, Online edition.

Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ ZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

world-13473408 [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Lange, S. 2004 “History of Style – Industrial Buildings, The Photographs of Bernd and Hilla Becher”, Cologne, as re-published in Becher, B. and H. 2014, “Basic Forms”, Munich: Schirmer-Mosel.

Mah, A. 2009 “Devastation but also home: place attachment in areas of industrial decline”, Home Cultures, 6:3, pp. 287310.

May, P. 2016 “Interior colour trends for 2017: mustard yellow”, Country and Town House Magazine, November 2016, Online edition, Available at: https:// www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/interiors/ interiors-colour-mustard-yellow/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] McGovern, P.D. 1968 “The New Towns of Scotland”, Scottish Geographical Magazine, 84:1, 29-44.

McKeough, T. 2012 “Brooklyn Toile, Graffiti and All” The New York Times, Home & Garden, April 19: D3 Nymoen Rørtveit, H. and Setten, G. 2015 “Modernity, Heritage and Landscape: The Housing Estate as Heritage”, Landscape Research, 40:8, 955-970.

Oxford Dictionaries, 2014, “From flexitarian to evil genius: new words in the OED”, Oxford Dictionaries Blog, 13 June 2014, Online edition, available at: http://blog.oxforddictionaries. com/2014/06/oed-update-june-2014/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Patel, R. 2013 “Misanthropocene?” Earth Island Journal Spring, Online Edition, available at: http://www.earthisland. org/journal/index.php/eij/article/ misanthropocene/ [Last Accessed: 22 July 2017] Petrova, M. A. 2014 “From NIMBY to acceptance: Toward a novel framrwork – VESPA – For organizing and interpreting community concerns” Renewable Energy, Vol. 86 (2016), pp. 1280-1294.

Phillips, R. 2014 “Space for curiosity”, Progress in Human Geography, v 38(4) 493-512 Pickard, C. and Brunker, A. 2016 “50+ Nautical Inspired Rooms”, House Beautiful, Online edition, available at http://www.housebeautiful.com/roomdecorating/g1735/nautical-inspiredrooms/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Powers, A. 1992 “Modern Block Printed Textiles” London : Walker Books Ltd. Purvis, K. 2015 “2015 challenges: urbanisation”, The Guardian, Online Edition, Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/global-developmentZITA KATONA // HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY // 2017

professionals-network/2015/mar/26/2015challenges-urbanisation [Last Accessed: 22 July 2017] Rana, S., Pichandi, S., Parveen, S. and Fanguiero, R. 2014 “Natural Plant Fibers: Production, Processing, Properties and Their Sustainability Parameters”, Textile Science and Clothing Technology – Roadmap to Sustainable Textiles and Clothing, Singapore : Springer Riberti, G. 2016 “Interior design colour trends: the new hues for 2017”, WGSN Insider, Online edition, 28 October 2016, Available at: https://www.wgsn. com/blogs/interior-design-colourtrends-2017/# [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Samanta, A. K, Chakraboty, S. and Guha Roy T. K. 2013 “Dyeing of jute with reactive dyes: Optimisation of the process variables and assessment of colourfastness characteristics” The Institution of Engineers (India), Ser. E 93(1) 15-24 University of California Museum of Paleonthology, n.d. “The Holocene Epoch”, Online exhibits, Available at: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/quaternary/ holocene.php [Last Accessed: 22 July 2017] Urban Realm, n.d. “Carbuncles”, Urban Realm Magazine, Online Edition, Available at: http://www.urbanrealm. com/carbuncles [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Tanizaki, J. 1933 “In Praise of Shadows” (First English translation: 1977), London: Vintage (Re-Edition 2001) Tuan, Y. F. 1974 “Topophilia: A study of Environmental Perception, Attitudes and Values”, Engledwood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Tucker, E. 2016 “Tom Dixon’s Industrial Landscape carpets are based on London’s architecture”, Dezeen Magazine, 13 January 2016, Online edition, Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/13/ ege-tom-dixon-industrial-landscapecarpets-rugs-london-architecturestockholm-furniture-fair/ [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Webb, P. 2013 “Festival of Britain – part 2”, Paul Webb’s blog, Online edition, Available at: http://poulwebb. blogspot.nl/2013/05/festival-of-britainpart-2.html [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Weinthal, L. 2014 “First Impressions”, Interiors, 5:3, 277-295.

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Wheeler, R. 2014 “Mining memories in a rural community: Landscape, temporality and place identity” Journal of Rural Studies, v. 36 pp. 22-32.

Zinn, J. O. 2016 “Living in the Anthropocene: towards a risk-taking society”, Environmental Sociology, 2:4, pp. 385-394,

5/2 FIGURES Fig. 1 Noaa Office of Ocean Exploration, 2017, Online, Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/13/ extraordinary-levels-of-toxic-pollutionfound-in-10km-deep-mariana-trench [Last Accessed 08 August 2017]

Fig. 14 Balco, n. d. Online, Available at: http://andrejbalco.com/portfolio/ suburbs# [Last Accessed 08 August 2017] Fig. 15 Katona, Z. 2015 (Personal Collection) Fig. 16 Ege Carpets, n. d. Online, Available at: https://www.egecarpets. com/collections/industrial-landscape-bytom-dixon [Last Accessed 08 August 2017] Fig. 17 - 47. Katona, Z. 2015-2017 (Personal Collection)

Fig. 2 Becher, B. and H. 1966-93, Online, Available at: http://www. anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/4089/ industrial-scenes-by-bernd-hilla-becher [Last Accessed 08 August 2017] Fig. 3 Timorous Beasties, n. d. Online, Available at: https://placesandspaces. com/products/timorous-beasties-toilelondon-toile [Last Accessed 08 August 2017] Fig. 4. & 5. Ivanovo-Voznezensk Factories, 1927-32, Photographed from: Kachurin, P. J. 2007 “Soviet Textiles: Designing the Modern Utopia”, Boston: MFA Publications.

Fig. 6 Odell, W. 1951, Online, Available at: http://poulwebb.blogspot.nl/2013/05/ festival-of-britain-part-2.html [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Fig. 7 Hodginks, D. 1951. Online, Available at: http://poulwebb.blogspot. nl/2013/05/festival-of-britain-part-2. html [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Fig. 8 Katona, Z. 2014 (Personal Collection) Fig. 9 Choi+Shine Architects, n. d.

Online, Available at http://www. bbc.co.uk/news/world-13473408 [Last Accessed: 08 August 2017] Fig. 10 Katona, Z. 2015 (Personal Collection) Fig. 11 Maasik, A. n. d. Online, Available at: http://arnemaasik.org/ galleries/tallinn/ [Last Accessed 08 August 2017] Fig. 12 & 13 Katona, Z. 2016 (Personal Collection)

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6// APPENDICES 6/1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS BASE FABRICS: // 100% Jute (Sourced from: Attwools Manufacturing, Gloucester, UK) // 100% Linen (Bleached & Unbleached, sourced from Whaleys Ltd, Bradford UK) // Silk Satin Viscose (Sourced from Whaleys Ltd, Bradford, UK) // Aquabond Water soluble fabrics (Sourced from Rejects Ltd, UK) DYES: // Digital printing at 12 passes at 720 x 720 DPI. // Pre-treatment solution (per litre): Approx. 700 ml Water, 200 g Urea, 20 g Matexil Pal, 50 g Sodium Bicarbonate // Pigments in various colours (sourced from Colourcraft C&A Ltd.) // Devoré paste (per litre): Approx 800 ml water, 40 g Indalca PA3R, 5 g Wetting Agent, 150 g Aluminium Sulphate.

6/2 FOCUS GROUP RESEARCH 6/2/1 QUESTIONNAIRE COPY

COLLECTION 1:

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

Please rate, how much do these images appeal to you on a scale of 5? (1 least, 5 most) What do you like about them? What do you dislike about them? What do they remind you of?

Are they similar to what you currently have at home? Would you like to have any of them?

1.1

1.2

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COLLECTION 2:

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

Please rate, how much do these images appeal to you on a scale of 5? (1 least, 5 most) What do you like about them? What do you dislike about them? What do they remind you of?

Are they similar to what you currently have at home? Would you like to have any of them?

2.1

2.2

2.7

COLLECTION 3:

3.3

Please rate, how much do these images appeal to you on a scale of 5? (1 least, 5 most) What do you like about them? What do you dislike about them? What do they remind you of?

Are they similar to what you currently have at home? Would you like to have any of them?

3.1

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3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

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Focus Group (Glenrothes) Product development / Textile collections Thank you for your participation in my research. This focus group interview is carried out as part of the MA research project of Zita Katona from the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot Watt University, Galashiels. I am developing textile designs based on research on public perceptions of modernist and industrial heritage. You have no obligation to answer all the questions.

- What is your age, gender, professional background?

- Where did you grow up (city, country)?

- Where do you currently live?

- Do you consider your current town or city of residence “pretty�? If this is the case, what makes it so? What parts do not appeal to you?

- What are your impressions of these images? What emotions, thoughts come to your mind when looking at each of these?

- Do you have reminders of other places at home? (Paintings, fridge magnets, etc.) What is on them, why did you get them?

- Could you imagine something that reminded you of industrial landscapes in your home?

Pick a colour palette that you mostly would like to surround yourself with in your home.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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6/3 VISITOR SURVEY 6/3/1 QUESTIONNAIRE COPY

1. Where do you currently live?  City/town centre  Suburbs  Countryside/village/farm 2. How do you feel about living there?











1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Can you see any industrial elements or other, functional buildings (e.g. gas tanks, wind turbines, pylons, office blocks, warehouses, etc.) where you live?  Yes  No 4. If you answered Yes, does it influence your feelings towards your home area?  Yes, positively  Yes, negatively  No difference 5. How do you feel about industrial and other functional architecture (e.g. gas tanks, wind turbines, pylons, office blocks, warehouses, etc.) in general?











1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. How do you feel about the textile samples on display?











1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. Have you noticed some details of industrial or other types of functional architecture in them at first glance?  Yes  No 8. Being aware of this influence, would you change your first answer to Question 6 (on your feelings about these textiles)?  Yes, positively  Yes, negatively  No difference 9. Seeing the textiles on display, would you change your first answer to Question 5 (on your feelings about these landscapes)?  Yes, positively  Yes, negatively  No difference 10. Would you live with any product made of these textiles for your own home?  Yes  No

THANK YOU FOR HELPING MY RESEARCH BY TAKING PART IN THIS SURVEY!

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