ARC 350R/386M
Woven Experiments
An exploration of fiber, weave and environment
in contemporary textiles and building materials

Instructor: Wendy Dunnam
Time: MW 9:30-11:00
Office Phone: 232-9314
Email: wad@mail.utexas.edu

Description:

What happens when a warp yarn of plain silk is combined with a weft yarn of silk thread wrapped in thin copper foil? What happens when cotton dipped in phosphors absorbs low-spectrum waves from artificial and natural light? Why would anyone layer woven material in acrylic resin?

We often require materials to be supple, luxurious, strong and wear resistant; we also want them to enable us to craft light, acoustic and other physical effects. There are few building materials that affect the immediate tactile nature of our built world more than woven textiles. What is it about the woven process that allows for this diverse collection of physical outcomes?

The topic will be explored in two parts. The first requires looking critically at modern textile design through the lens of scrutinizing raw materials, process and potential for manipulation. The second provides a situation for making and evaluating physical effects. The content for this seminar topic is in and of itself vast, beautiful, at times functional, at others frivolous, in some ways very simple and in others quite complex in its combination of raw material and technology. We will attempt to exhaust the topic¹s range and possibilities.

Format:

Students will be working in a wide variety of formats and media throughout the semester. Preliminary work will be in the form of case studies and research presentations. A large part of the course will be devoted to the creation of textile designs. Design work will include, but not be limited to, three dimensional modeling and physical fabrication. The latter part of the course will be spent evaluating the environment, or artifacts made possible by particular designs.

Objective:

This course is meant to be both a celebration and a critical evaluation of woven material potential. Students are encouraged to dispel traditional notions of ³fabrics² in order to reveal a larger body of material choices. The course is broad in the sense of potential outcome and very particular in that it is all about ³the weave² and the work of woven fibers.

Evaluation:

Student progress will be based on ability to contribute to a body of knowledge through research, critical thinking, discussion and making. Work will be reviewed for how well that ³knowledge² is exercised through design and experimentation.