Alice Mary King
Textiles
Final year project
Nota Bene Potentia [Read more]
Nota Bene Potentia: Organic Flow
A 200cm flowing three-dimensional structure of pistachio rows held between two layers of 100% silk organza and supported by a narrow wired rolled hem. This sculpture is moulded into its intended form of approximately 25cm x 40cm x 15cm for display on a flat table surface. Visualised at a larger scale, it is wall mounted for greater impact.
Nota Bene Potentia: The Weave
25cm x70cm wall hanging. 100% silk organza base with 3mm silk running stitch embroidery adding copper, golden and brunette streaks throughout. Embellished with hand moulded terracotta clay pendants. Inspired by Paul Klee’s’ Bauhaus weave workshops valuing the process of production as part of the art itself.
Nota Bene Potentia: Natures Elegance
250cm length of hand moulded approx. 6cm leaves stitched together with silk thread, stacked to create the desired sculpture. It focuses on three-dimensional form, design versatility and colour illusion. It is impacted hugely by its surroundings and takes a simplified common form of a leaf to highlight the elegance of nature.
Nota Bene Potentia: Pistachio Weave
A 50cm x 70cm silk threaded structure comprising 2mm handcrafted terracotta clay beads cased in pistachio shell halves. The piece can be draped to form a sculpture reminiscent of a dried leaf. Inspired by my initial photograph of natural forms found in enclosed gardens during the national lockdown.
Nota Bene Potentia: Encased
25cm x 70cm 100% white silk organza base with hand moulded ceramic cups encasing varying sized wooden bead embellishment. The all-over embellishment has a coloured gradient created with varying thicknesses of terracotta slip applied with a paintbrush. Individual cups are floral based but also reminiscent of basic seed shells as they surround the uniformly formed bead. The balance of hard ceramic embellishment and delicate silk enables it to be hung although its movement and interactivity are more clearly displayed when on a flat surface.
Nota Bene Potentia: Paradox
25cm x70 cm white silk organza length with formed organza cone embellishment. This piece reflects both the consistency of life during a lockdown as well as consequential tensions and anxiety. Initially inspired by thistle-like forms found in the garden, the outcome creates a metaphor for the emotions surrounding COVID-19. Although the entire piece is of silk organza, the naked white base contrasts with the aggressive sharp cones to reveal the potential of a single, combined form.
Nota Bene Potentia: Foliole
A three-dimensional organic form constructed from leaf embossed ceramic tiles and white garden wire. This outcome highlights the often overlooked beauty of the most common of natural forms – the leaf. It explores the intricate surface texture created by leaf veins and, when interacting with natural light, this piece comes to life.
Nota Bene Potentia: Colour Illusion
This sample piece explores surface pattern and embellishment. It is part of a collection of experimental pieces, preparing for final project outcomes. It explores colour illusion, using pistachio shells to embrace natural materials and their raw beauty.
Alice Mary King
I am a multimedia textiles artist inspired by the natural world, exploring three dimensional textured forms and their interaction with space and light.
Nota Bene Potentia is a collection of textile artworks intended for domestic interiors. It reflects nature’s organic elegance combined with the incongruent patterns and textures of individual natural forms.
The collection explores the potential of the living world. It considers how nature has historically been a rich source of inspiration for textile design and how this continues to be a relevant tool to reflect human emotion.
Intrigued by the impact of confinement during the national lockdown, each piece is a development of natural forms to reflect paradoxes within modern life and the impact of social isolation. The outcomes are standalone pieces with individual narratives that aim to promote mindfulness. When experienced together, they interact as a coherent collection with a flow and structure reminiscent of the cycle of life and the necessary balance within nature.
The collection’s honest use of natural fibres promotes environmental awareness and sustainability. It emphasises the beauty of the living world and highlights aesthetic potential. However, by bringing nature inside, we contain it and restrict the potential for growth. This is a metaphor for the natural origin of the COVID virus, the impacts of social isolation and the feeling of life standing still.
Final year project
Nota Bene Potentia
Work Experience
Suzie Turner, London
Suzie Turner is a couture fashion designer based in London specialising in bespoke design, garment construction and the production of in-house embellishments.
Hand tactile skills were tested and timed throughout my placement which helped develop my technical accuracy and understanding of product pricing. Organising my time effectively ensured tasks were completed to required deadlines as part of a coordinated team. I experienced all stages of direct client contact from initial brief development through to the completion of international bridal projects. I had exposure to the scale of the fashion industry and the vast range of people involved, highlighting the importance of supplier contacts and networking as well as balancing individual commissions with building the studio’s general portfolio.
Gyunel Couture, London
Gyunel Couture is an international brand known for their celebrity clients and creating garments for fashion award events.
Building on skills developed at Suzie Turner, I maintained practical accuracy when completing technical tasks and was responsible for balancing my time between working on commissioned pieces and the current collection. I enjoyed working within various teams as part of a larger business including working on embroidery and embellishments, sending them abroad for construction and quality checking the final product. It was interesting to understand pricing for international production and the impact upon pitched price.
Longina Philips, Sydney Australia
Longina Philips is an international print studio based in Sydney. Their principal sector is fashion with some secondary commissions for interiors, merchandise and stationery.
This placement provided me with the opportunity to significantly expand my working knowledge beyond couture fashion and garment production. I strengthened my digital skills, learning shortcuts to improve my design efficiency such as developing placement print into flowing repeats. The fast-paced environment required me to work on individual design briefs in a short amount of time. This challenged the extent and pace of my creativity but I was able to work confidently within a studio team and quickly learn new skills.