During Contemporary Context I did extensive research into how artists historically used their chosen media to portray primarily mental illness with some indicating physical disabilities through a range of indirect symbolism or more direct and blatant forms of narratives.  I want to extend and deepen this research into how textile artists or designers can use found or recycled materials as metaphors and analogies in order to convey a specific narrative.

I aim to start my research and potentially my essay by looking back, albeit briefly, again at historical and cultural practitioners  as I strongly feel these references form the foundation for contemporary practice in all design and art sectors – my art history module taught me how each generation of practitioners have developed and continue to develop new skills and styles as they sought and again continue to seek to reflect the artistic, political, social and economic periods in which they live.    I want to use the skills and knowledge thus far gained through my art history studies and also in the research I did in Contemporary Context to form foundation stones that explain the use of direct or indirect narratives and how they are and can be applied across a variety of textile categories.

From this initial research I want to investigate how contemporary textile artists are using recycled, up-cycled or found materials in their work and to what purpose – are they being used as the above mentioned metaphors or analogies to raise awareness of a specific cause such as environmental issues or are they, like myself, seeking to provide a voice for something that is often difficult to put into written or vocal words?

One example  is how Becca Birtles, a textile artist, has sought to explain the frustrations of her deafness through the use of cage-like structures in one exhibited piece – I am wary of plagiarising myself as I wrote and referenced Ms Birtles in my research blog in Contemporary Context but her work is directly relevant also to this course and  to the use of found or recycled materials as she has used wire, tape (cassette tape I believe) and stitch.

I want to research further and interview Ms Birtles again, along with other textile artists with specific reference to their methodology and found materials i.e. how they decide what to use and how far they take their abstraction of their chosen narrative and how the materials relate to the metaphor or analogy.

I have come to realise that my interests lie very much in a mixed media approach so am also looking to discover whether there are also textile artists who combine up-cycled and found materials with more traditional or even innovative and new materials and again how are they used with regard to the narrative  with an overriding question of does the material dictate whether the piece of work becomes a direct analogy or a metaphor that takes more working out by the viewer?

By taking differing approaches and angles in my research I am aiming to gain the knowledge that will take me forward into level 3 with a planned approach of how architecture in particular can be used as a metaphor for various types of illness or how metaphors can be used across all design and artistic sectors.

To conclude my proposed essay title is:

How can recycled or up-cycled materials be used by textile artists and designers as metaphors or analogies for a chosen narrative or theme? 

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