Ms Sandra Heffernan
1992-2000 lecturer in Fashion Design, Massey University, Wellington, NZ 2000-1 PhD student Glasgow
Material Appropriation: The Development of a Design Aesthetic
"So it always is in the history of the arts: style grows from style, and forms and technique are slowly modified by nationality, by new manners of life, or by the temperament or period of an individual" (Mackie, 1938, 6). Included in the introduction to the catalogue 'Contemporary Embroidery' the above quote by Campbell Mackie, design lecturer Glasgow School of Art, indicates that he considered design to evolve from a diverse range of influences, uniquely interpreted. Throughout history textile traditions, social integration, and cultural exchange have inspired and conributed to many embroidery designs. In Kalotaszeg, Transylvania, peasant embroidery was transformed from what was considered to be a pure source to a diverse array of designs. Developed by Etelka Gyarmathy's home industries, it was a significant influence on intellectual life at the turn of the nineteenth century. Design ideas spread from some of the least developed areas of Europe to the most industrialised areas. From a theoretical base, developed from the above, the paper will feature a contemporary design practice focus. The presentation will highlight both student and practitioner design, reinterpreted and reinvented 'traditional' embellishment, using material appropriation techniques, in response to these antique Hungarian textiles.
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