Elinor Voytal Blog

What Have I Been Up To? Part One....

'Tinctoria' 2013 collaboration with Hannah Westwood

In 2013 I completed my two year Artist in Residency at Middlesex University in the Fashion and Textiles department.  It was a 2 year residency with a variety of artists working within different departments of the university.  At the end of the 2 years we celebrated with an exhibition of the work inspired by our residency.  I worked within the knit department and collaborated with my fellow artist in residence, Hannah Westwood, who was working within textiles print.

Inspired by the film 'Blue Alchemy' we started looking at indigo dyeing and were soon mesmerised by it's other worldliness.  We had heard about the technique of calendering, where if you beat the indigo dyed fabric enough it soon takes on a bronze sheen, almost like polishing the fabric.  The beginnings of which can be seen when first taking fabric out of the indigo vat.

Bronze sheen on Indigo dyed fabric when first out of the vat.

We carried out our own experiments in calendering but with mixed results! We also took much inspiration from the jewellery and textiles of nomadic tribes such as the Wodaabe.

Our work together culminated in a small collection of garments by Hannah and Jewellery by me.  We only wished we could have spent longer on the project together! I definitely want to work with indigo again. Please see my sketchbook page for further images from the residency.