Science Museum Study Task

Theory Science Museum – Challenges of Materials Exhibition

Materials

The challenge is to select the right material for the job and the priority is to match the properties of the materials to the lack to be performed.

Many other factors have to be considered, such as, cost, appearance, fashion, individual taste and cultural conventions.

Perceptions of materials

How do we feel about materials influences which ones you choose?

A material that performs well may still seem ‘wrong’ depending on personal taste or social convention.

Artists and designers are often able to change people’s perceptions of the suitability of using particular materials.  

Select one material that inspires you that you have learnt something new about – make notes on its

Applications

Properties

Development

American Red Oak

I was inspired to research about oak because it is a material that is used in our everyday lives and I thought I would research into a material that isn’t related to textiles, something different.

Applications –

Today oak wood is still frequently used for making furniture and flooring, timber frame buildings, and for veneer production. Also barrels in which red wines, sherry, brandy and spirits are made from American Red oak. The use of oak in wine can add many different flavours to wine based on the type and style of the oak. Oak barrels, can add a change and a difference to the colour, taste, and fragrance of the contents, such as an oaky vanilla flavour.

Properties –

American Red oak has great strength and hardness, and is rarely contaminated with insect and fungal attacks because of its content of high tannin.  Which is why oak is commonly used to make furniture, flooring, timber frame buildings and for veneer production, because consumers know that oak products will be long lasting and durable. 

Development –

American red oak has developed over generations because of the growth of production, inventions and modernization of machinery and mechanics.  Also because a scientist discovered that the oak tree could be used as a material, developing from its origin a tree, to now being produced and used as everyday objects.

Block 1 - Stitch

Stitch Sample - Based on drawings of mushrooms
This represents the lines of the underside of a mushroom, machine stitched tucks and burning
into the tucks, creating an organic mushroom shape, texture and feel 

Science Museum Study Task

Theory Science Museum – Trash Fashion

1.              Reflective notes on your experience of the exhibition

I thought the exhibition was quite small and not what I was expecting, but there was so much information provided, such as research that could be used and interesting facts to be read were vast.  There were many thoughts, views and things to learn from the exhibition, even if you weren’t a student and just visiting the exhibition.  At first I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to be researching and recording notes from.  I felt the exhibition was quite confusing and not well laid out. 

2.              What you learnt

I learnt that the exhibition was portraying a message, not just to fashion or textile students researching into different topics, but also to the general public who view the exhibition, stating that even though fashion is fast-changing all the time, clothes can be worn more than once, even if you’re fed up with the look because a garment can be changed and modified to new and specific trends.

3.              Explain the different processes/approaches to ‘designing out waste’ for differing projects

Discuss the merits of each approach in contributing to the sustaining the environment

What the issues might be regarding what impact they can have?

Stinging Nettle Fibres

They can be used as an alternative to cotton. Stinging nettle fibres can be turned into a fabric to be produced into garments of clothing, which is as soft or as softer as cotton and is stronger, so therefore could be a better fabric to make clothes from.

So why would anyone consider turning the stinging nettle plant into a fabric and might it help contribute to the sustaining of the environment?

There are many reasons, one being that stinging nettle is a weed and it grows just about everywhere. Researching into the plant I found that it doesn’t need pesticides and fertilizers for it to thrive. So therefore, nettle is easy and fast to grow and kind to the environment.

Also stinging nettle naturally retards flame. Which means when the plant fiber is woven in with other materials like cotton or wool, dangerous, flame-retardant chemicals don’t have to be used, so again better for the environment.

Another reason being, those stinging nettles are very strong when it’s woven into a fabric. As we know stinging nettles are stronger than cotton and it doesn’t need large amounts of chemicals than cotton does.

Recycled Polyester

Polyester can be recycled over and over again, but its not always eco-friendly.  Most fabrics and garments that are currently used are made up of 60% fibres.  Plus quite a lot of the unwanted materials end up in/on landfill sites.  Therefore so much is wasted and not kept pure, which means that it is harder and impossible to recycle and biodegrade.

Recycled polyester is not always eco-friendly but it depends on the recycling process, and the original polyester itself. Polyester is a synthetic fabric, so it’s not going to be as organic as plant fibres. Polyester has health hazards and environmental issues that make it a lot less eco-friendly than it could be.

Visiting the exhibition trash fashion I watched a video clip on the textile designer Kate Goldsworthy, who uses laser beams to cut, stitch and design patterns onto 100% recycled polyester. Also this process of laser beams gives creative freedom back to the designer. The use of this fibre means the dress is easy to recycle at the end of its life.  When experimenting with lasers to create patterns and textures, the designer must stay clear of using chemicals because they can impact with the environment and cause pollution.

Unit 1 - Rough Guide Theory Task

Object from a shop - Print Blocks

Unit 1 - Rough Guide Theory Task

Object from a market stall - Crab

Unit 1 - Rough Guide Theory Task

Rough Guide Theory Task

Describe the objects/images/items

List keywords that come to mind

Now consider the context within your area and how these might differ if they were shown in another context

Object/product from a market stall

Crabs from a fish market stall, to buy and eat

Crabs are obviously natural living species that live within the sea and are made up of particles and enzymes.  They look like mean creatures that you would never think you could eat because they have such a hard structured body and coating.

Coast, seaside, beach, textural, scuttle, hard, fragile, dangerous, dirty

Thinking of the context of where the crabs are sold, and if this were to change the context would differ greatly depending on the situation.  If you were to find a crab in a department store (Selfridges), say in the food hall, you would expect to be buying ‘luxury’ crabmeat, which would not be cheap!  Whereas to come across a crab in an art gallery, I think a person would have slightly confused thoughts and probably think the artists had some peculiar concept behind his work.  However, I don’t think you will ever find a crab in an art gallery.

Object/product from a shop

A Print Block

I came across a little old antique shop, which you can find many of in Notting Hill. They sold these beautiful old-fashioned print blocks.  They are square wooden blocks, with the section of the stamp being metal for the build up of ink to go.  These print blocks were used when old-fashioned printing presses and typesetters were still used to print the newspapers. 

Newspaper, prints, letters, delicate Imagery, beautiful, subtle, raised, design, pattern, detail

If a printing block was shown in another context, such as either an art gallery, market stall or department store, I don’t think the context would differ at all.  A printing block would still have the same meaning because it is an antique and has a specific significance.

Object/painting/artwork/image from a museum

Museum of brands, packaging and advertising – graphics and labels from old packaging

I visited the Museum of brands, packing and advertising because it was in my area, Notting Hill, for the Rough Guide project.  For this task, I decided to research into the graphics and labels from old packaging to new, how each product has changed over time through centuries.  The graphics and labels on packaging are so detailed, intricate and beautiful but nowadays the products we buy are so boring!  The products used to be attractive objects made from earthenware, wood, glass, paper and card, the to tin boxes and cans of the 19^th century, to the new materials of aluminum and cellophane in 1920’s and 30’s.  Then since 1950’s came the dramatic change and introduction of flexible plastics.  The evolution of packaging has become increasingly more complex and dull.

Dull, vibrant, detail, colourful, intricate, beautiful, flexible

Having been researching graphics and labels of old packaging to new, if I were to move the old packaging to a market stall from the museum passersby would probably not even take a glance.  The packaging might look old and battered, and nowadays everyone consumes up to date products, fashion garments and objects because they are satisfying their needs and stating their identities with modern possessions.

Comparisons between them

The reason why I researched into these objects for this task is because they all relate to each other in the Notting Hill area.  Notting Hill and Portobello Road has always had antique shops, markets and food markets along the streets, which is how the crab, print block and old packaging relates to each other because they all show and state the history of the area, but not just the area, and you can kind of imagine what the area used to look like.  However, “the area hasn’t really changed at all” said a market stallholder, whose family has worked there for generations.