Over the Christmas break I have been looking online for textile print work that I like, and that I think is successful. The best work I have found is that of Laura Dougherty, who graduated in 2012 from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a BA in Textile Design. She has specialised in weave, but from her website, looks equally talented in print as well.
From what I have found out online, it looks as if the RMIT course is a seriously structured, taught degree that has a heavy commercial bias, to produce graduates who can deliver textile design to the marketplace. I wish my UK course did this. I have thought at length about this, and I am not interested in producing pointless art objects - my work needs a clear purpose. The RMIT course has strong links with industry and some of their projects work with industry leaders with the purpose of producing designs for commercial production. Laura Dougherty won the bed linen competition with Dryden company, and came third in a kitchen accessories competition with Ladelle company. Unfortunately I can't get my printer to print her designs from her website - whether due to a fault on my printer or a deliberate prevention by her website I am not sure. I have looked closely at her work and it looks as if both projects were designed to be hand printed with silk screens as they are limited to 4/5 colours. None of the work done at the Contemporary Applied Art course at UH has any strong links with the textile industry. I have heard that Habitat come around the degree shows to see whether any designs are worth commissioning, but I suspect they go to most degree shows. We do not appear to have any links with industry nurtured by tutors, and once again I suspect this is because our course is "self directed learning". If we want it, we need to get it for ourselves.
I've done a bit more drawing of my pomegranates, so I now have 14 versions in colour and monochrome. Still not enough, but I've taken a couple of days off to make a baby quilt (before the baby arrives!).
Off to York tomorrow for a few days, and I aim to research home interiors in the various museums. Then my "Home Sweet Home" class at the V&A starts on 13 Jan.
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