Porthcurno postcard

From Cradle to Cradle

"From Cradle to Cradle -Remaking the way we make things " is the theme of this book by William McDonough and Michael Braungart . Having been entranced by the idea of being responsible for a design from cradle to grave ( see entry on Bruce Mau) I decided to look at this book recommended by Simon.So far I have got to page 56 of this book and if I wasn't so determined I would feel like giving up on the ECO front .Maybe by the time I get to page 186 I will feel differently . I dont want to get so distracted by this that I end up not producing anything but feel I have to keep exploring better possibilities.

We as a species need to stop seeing money making as a priority and a measure of an individuals success . (Have just realised I am following in the footsteps of my son Jon whose MA chartered territory beyond economic crash . This quote from the website of his virtual company ARK-INK
set up in 2006 are uncannily becoming reality .

"Despite repeated warnings that we are fast approaching a point of no return, the world's governments (and ourselves) pay these issues little more then lip service"

ARK-INC offers products and services as investments in the creation of a 'post-crash' portfolio that will hold or gain value as the world of traditional economics crumbles. To supplement these investments, ARK-INC helps promote and facilitate (though its ark trust initiative) an ad-hoc self-sustaining social network known as the Ark Collective.)

In the race for economic progress we may have gone beyond the point of no return , exploiting finite resources and the environment . The fall of great civilisations have been studied in depth
the Mayans , the Roman Empire but it seems no lessons have been learned this time we are talking about the fall of the entire human race taking along with it many species of plants animals and eco systems .If we are looking for heaven then it was this planet , it was here all the time . So all I can do as a designer is to try and be responsible .
My search for eco fabrics continues but it seems that natural fibres dyed with natural dyes is not an answer :
P42 says "The natural materials to meet the needs of our current population cannot and do not exist."
It would take up too much land to grow the plants needed for the fabrics and dyes , land that we need to grow food.
"Todays industrial infrastructure is designed to chase economic growth . It does so at the expense of other vital concerns , particularly human and ecological health , cultural and natural richness and even enjoyment and delight...............the consequences of unintelligent design ."
(and greed )

Cushions

One last swansong with dye discharge and devore before exploring the unchartered seas of green fabrics and processes.Cushion labelled thus :

'One Bird ' devore cushion from the 'Beautiful but deadly ' never to be repeated range of un-environmentally friendly interior textile products by Rowena Ardern.
During the devore process the following rules apply HANDLE CHEMICALS WITH CARE *Wear rubber gloves and dust vapour mask.Work in a well ventilated space.


Fabrics used silk viscose

"Steadily over the next four days the silkworm produces a fine thread by making a figure of eight movement some 300,000 times, constructing a cocoon in which it intends to spend the chrysalis stage where it is in a state of sleep and casting off its skin. After this the pupae begin the sixteen days that would normally result in the miracle of transformation to a winged being - the moth. However, if the pupa (chrysalis) remains alive it will begin to secrete an alkali, which eats its way through the cocoon, ruining the silk threads. Therefore during the commercial production of silk, only enough adult moths are allowed to emerge to ensure continuation of the species. Most of the remainder of the silkworms are killed by heat, e.g. immersion in boiling water, steaming or drying in an oven.

Hundreds Die"

"The amount of useable silk from each cocoon is small. One hectare of mulberry trees yields 11.25 tonnes of leaves, producing around 200kg of cocoons, but just 40kg of raw silk. The silk yield is many times smaller than this in countries such as Thailand, where the silk is reeled by hand rather than by machine. So it takes hundreds of tiny lives to produce just one silk scarf or tie.

and cotton organdie

Cotton, the most widely used textile in the world, is grown in over 60 countries and covers almost 5% of all land cultivated. However, as competition grows and people expect to buy clothes for less money, cotton farming has become a riskier business.

As a result, farmers have been using huge amounts of chemicals which are sprayed on crops and plants to kill harmful insects. Unfortunately, pesticides may also kill non-harmful insects and other animals to protect their crops. A quarter of all pesticides are used on cotton - in the South, this figure rises to half. And because cotton isnt eaten, many of the pesticides that farmers use are particularly toxic.

This has caused a range of health problems:

the natural insect population in cotton areas has been greatly reduced

pesticides are washed into rivers and taken into drinking supplies

high levels of pesticides build up in the soil, making food that is later grown there bad for us

empty pesticide containers are dumped, posing a health hazard

cattle fed on cotton leaves, or oil cake made from cotton seeds, can be poisoned and even die."

and thats just the fabrics never mind the chemical processes , devore that eats a way the top layer of the fabric , once printed the fabric is then baked and the devore layer has to be rubbed off by hand wearing a mask to protect from fibres and dust .Coloured discharge entails bleaching out one colour and adding another colour on top . Bleach well enough said . Add that to the water table .
At least the embroidery is environmentally friendly or is it !
The end result is so gorgeous though I am going to find it hard to quit this habit !

detail of back and opening


























Front of completed cushion.

Review of OAK by William Bryant Logan

	One of the most useful and informative books I have discovered for my research has been reviewed on Wilson Web(a site well worth signing up to ). Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan Oak trees are not champions, they hold no special records. They are not the largest, strongest, oldest or fastest growing tree. But the genus Quercus has the broadest geographical range of any tree species. These trees are found all over the world and unlike other species that require very specific conditions, such as altitude, specific temperatures or humidity to flourish, the oak is spread around the world throughout all the temperate zones. But the question is: could a single genus of tree be responsible for the spread of civilization? Could it be that man followed the edible acorns of the oak forests, and not migrating animals, and, in turn, spread civilization across expanses of the planet? William Bryant Logan believes there is a possibility and he explores this theory as well as scientific and historic facts in the book Oak: The Frame of Civilization. This book offers a perspective of world history seen through the lens of a single tree. Here we learn how intrinsic oak was to civilization. Oak provided food and shelter and the stuff big sailing ships were made from. Oak tells history in its rings and has been discovered to indicate historic events dating back as far as 10 millennia more accurately than radiocarbon dating. Oak recorded history in other ways in the form of charcoal and ink from oak galls. Humans ate the highly nutritious acorns for centuries before they were fed to pigs. Oak is also crucial to the history of drink, as it was the stuff of barrels and bottle corks. According to Logan the age of oak ended in 1862 when the material’s use in building was replaced by metal, oil and coal.
	Oak trees are not champions, they hold no special records. They are not the largest, strongest, oldest or fastest growing tree. But the genus Quercus has the broadest geographical range of any tree species. These trees are found all over the world and unlike other species that require very specific conditions, such as altitude, specific temperatures or humidity to flourish, the oak is spread around the world throughout all the temperate zones. But the question is: could a single genus of tree be responsible for the spread of civilization? Could it be that man followed the edible acorns of the oak forests, and not migrating animals, and, in turn, spread civilization across expanses of the planet? William Bryant Logan believes there is a possibility and he explores this theory as well as scientific and historic facts in the book Oak: The Frame of Civilization. This book offers a perspective of world history seen through the lens of a single tree. Here we learn how intrinsic oak was to civilization. Oak provided food and shelter and the stuff big sailing ships were made from. Oak tells history in its rings and has been discovered to indicate historic events dating back as far as 10 millennia more accurately than radiocarbon dating. Oak recorded history in other ways in the form of charcoal and ink from oak galls. Humans ate the highly nutritious acorns for centuries before they were fed to pigs. Oak is also crucial to the history of drink, as it was the stuff of barrels and bottle corks. According to Logan the age of oak ended in 1862 when the material’s use in building was replaced by metal, oil and coal. OAK FACTS: Oak trees generally do not produce acorns until they are at least 20 years old although some individuals do not produce acorns until they are as old as 50 years. Only one out of 10,000 acorns will germinate into a tree. Balanophage means "acorn eaters." The largest oak tree in the United States is the Linden Oak in North Bethesda, Maryland. Poison Oak is not really an oak, it is a plant. The lumber from a Black Oak is either red or white and sold as such. There is no Black Oak lumber. Ink made from oak trees was used by Leonardo da Vinci, Johann Sebastian Bach and the Roman Historian Pliny. A bark-stripping party Collection of William Bryant Logan Structure of the Westminster Hall roof Oak leaves

Pattern

Reviews		Over and Over by Michael Perry
	The cover of Mike Perry's Over and Over, available through Princeton Architectural Press. Over and Over is Perry's second book focusing on the art of designing fonts and patterns by hand. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008. PUSHING THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF PATTERN Drawing a pattern is not the easiest way of doing it, but when the time is spent, something magical happens. – Mike Perry While patterns have been around forever, there's a recent movement among younger designers to allow patterns to animate their work with colorful and exuberant complexity. OVER AND OVER: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in their work in inventive and innovative ways. From Deanna Cheuk's patterns that adorn current fashion garments to those of Robin Cameron that explore her interest in art to Garrett Morin's patterns that arose from an exercise for a character called Eloie; the examples in this book push the boundaries of the traditional concept of what pattern is. The selected works are often not an end result, but the beginning of something else; something bigger and broader. While the computer is sometimes involved in the production of the patterns, the hand-drawn element is always evident in the uniqueness of these works. Featuring more than 250 vibrant and exciting patterns, Over and Over explores the magic on every single page, and will inspire designers everywhere. Michael Perry is an illustrator and graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is considered one of today's top innovators of type and illustration. His client list includes Columbia University, Ray-Ban and Dwell Magazine. His studio can be contacted by linking to this website: http://midwestisbest.com/work.php Stefan Marx's House Pattern, 2006 Cleptomanicx, Pen Illustrator Marx works almost entirely in pen, differentiating him from many of his generation who have since moved to digital mediums to design their patterns. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008 Kimou Meyer, Crooklyn, 2007 Sixpack France, pen and computer Pulling in his passion for old school hip hop as well as 1950's cartoons and hand painted signs, Meyer's "Crooklyn" takes as its subject the somewhat edgy associations that many may connect with Brooklyn's most notorious neighborhoods. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008. Wyeth Hansen's Electric Eye no.1, Life Long Action Adventure, 2007. Riviera Gallery, Brooklyn, Gouace and silkscreen on wood Hansen cites 60's psychedelic poster art and Talking Heads albums as his early inspirations, as evident here in this vibrant yet sophisticated pattern. Photo courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Coming soon to Paris- Li Edelkort Retrospective

Archeology of the Future: 20 Years of Trend Forecasting with Li Edelkoort
B.D. - 14.01.2009

Archeology of the future_Michael Baumgarten

The Insitut Néerlandais in Paris is proud to announce an important upcoming exhibition on the trends that shape our lives.

Archeology of the Future: 20 Years of Trend Forecasting with Li Edelkoort will be the first exhibition to identify and analyze today’s most influential lifestyle trends–as seen through the eyes of the world’s leading trend forecaster,Li Edelkoort. This will also be the first exhibition to explore trend forecasting as a profession,and the first retrospective dedicated to Edelkoort’s body of work.

Archeology of the Future will demonstrate that trends are not passing fads, but rather long-term phenomena that shape every aspect of our lives from the food we eat to the color of our clothes.On display will be more than 100 elements, a variety of design, fashion and photography from around the world.Also on display will be a wealth of images and other audio-visual materials from Edelkoort’s archive.

Li Edelkoort is one of the world’s most renowned trend forecasters. In 2003 TIME Magazine named her one of the world’s 25 Most Influential People in Fashion, and in 2004 she was listed in Icon as one of the 21 Most Important People in Design. In 2008, she was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, an Honorary Doctorate of Art from Nottingham Trent University and France’s prestigious Designers Days Jury Prize for her work in fashion and design. Born in Holland in 1950, she began trend forecasting in Paris in 1975. Since then, she has pioneered forecasting as a profession, from creating innovative trend forums for Première Vision to long-ranging lifestyle analyses for the world’s leading brands.Edelkoort’s magazines,View on Colour and Bloom, have been enormously influential,as has her work at the Design Academy Eindhoven.Today Edelkoort provides trend analyses and consulting services to major international companies in a wide range of sectors, from fashion and footwear to cosmetics and cars, from food and flowers to bricks and paper. Decrypting the links between art, fashion, design and consumer culture,Edelkoort studies and advances the concepts, colors, and materials which will be important two or more years hence, because “there is no creation without advance knowledge, and without design, a product cannot exist.

From January 22 to March 8, 2009

www.institutneerlandais.com

Li Edelkort Retrospective

Li Edelkoort Retrospective: Archeology of the Future, at the Insitut Néerlandais. 121 rue de Lille, 75007, Paris, France. Nearest Metro: Assemblée Nationale-line 12.

The exhibition is on from the 21st January to the 8th March Open, except Mondays: 13.00 to 19.00.

Wild Cornwall

In this wild and windy weather I was drawn to visit the coast around Porthcurno for a walk . The sea was amazing I love that part of Cornwall it feels so wild and relatively isolated and a fabulous beach as well as that feat of a lifetime the Minack Theatre carved out by my namesake Rowena (Cade ) Also did a little bit of drawing in a sheltered cove using water colour paint straight from the tube to use as my postcards home.

Porthcurno

2009 the Year of Natural Fibres

Just found this on the Selvedge website.The International Year of Natural Fibres will be officially launched on 22 January 2009 at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). Since the 1960s, the use of synthetic fibres has increased and natural fibres have lost their market share. The FAO hopes the title will raise consumer awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres. www.naturalfibres2009.org