RCA Work In Progress Exhibition: textile print highlights

The Royal College of Art (RCA) Work in Progress exhibition continues until this Friday January 22 – so if you have a chance – catch it while you can! Today, ARTS THREAD reports on the excellent work on show in printed textiles.

One of the most impressive exhibits is by Rupert Newman. Using light sensitive inks and graphic geometric patterning, he then projects moving light and images onto a printed panel, creating mesmerising changes of and colour and mood.

We loved Katie Mott’s cool fabric printed portraits, which exude a great ‘punk’ aesthetic. Katie uses faded historical images, overprinted on woven jacquards, then screen prints these with subverted union jack motifs before embellishing with feathers and found objects. We foresee a queue for these desirable pieces forming right now.

Victoria Baldree reveals some great abstract printed textiles, inspired by “exploring the phenomenon of ‘after images’ which continue to appear in one’s vision after the original image has gone – like staring into the sun.” Her imaginative development of this idea results in varied and unusual effects in fabric, utilising graphic pattern, texture and layered images.

Katie Fulford’s exhibit also caught our eye – with her experimental approach mixing devoré with perforated, threaded and manipulated fabrics.

Eleanor Nadimi’s lovely colourful, graphic prints reference African imagery and pattern, yet have a great contemporary feel.

We loved the beautifully soft, textural and highly commercial prints for interiors, by Charlene Picart. Charlene marries bold brushstrokes with delicate textures and subtle metallic effects, in colours of antique white and faded parchment.

Adam Smith’s exhibit contrasted faded and torn geometric effects with the subtlest washed out wood-grain effects.

Lucinda Abell’s printed panel was an interesting montage of scanned, draped fabric mixed with hand-drawn imagery in black and white.

There were also a number of outstanding first year students. We loved Jonna Saarinen’s highly stylised and delicate linear drawings of birds, trees, fish and landscapes.

Kit Miles, also shows great promise with strong, graphic, gothic images featuring heraldic birds of prey, and ornate ‘engraved’ pattern effects electrified with blasts of bright colour and raised flocking, as does Emma Shipley with the delicate and sensitive draftsmanship of her beautifully detailed monochrome work.

RCA Work in Progress Exhibition is open every day until Friday January 22 2010 from 11.00 –18.00.

Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
Nearest tube: High Street Kensington, South Kensington
Buses: 9, 10, 52, 452