Research summary so far...

My research began by considering non-verbal communication, such as time, space and gesture. I immediately referred back to Dan Roosegaardes Dune and the idea of the piece reacting to the viewers movement, proximity and touch. This lead me to explore other works of his, in particular Liquid Space which transformed in size, colour, brightness and sound to the viewers movements and interaction. I then thought about what materials are available which can transform themselves - thermochromic textiles react to heat, becoming more vibrant/visible when heat is applied. A change in persons body heat is a way of the body communicating and reacting to stimuli. A persons temperature could increase due to increased heat in their environment, or from certain emotions, nervousness, embarrassment etc. This opened up the possibility of concealing messages in the garments, which would only become visible when heat was applied. I also began to think about fabrics which could become transparent, once again this led me back to Dan Roosengaarde, using smart foils and wireless devices which interact with each other when in close proximity causing the fabric to become transparent. I would like to explore this idea in my design, making 'pairs' of outfits which transform each other when they get close, revealing layers underneath the garments. For example, when the garments were to cross on the runway the smart foils would become transparent, and then gain solidity when moving further away from its partner.

I have looked into surrounding environment in terms of communication - changes in temperature, proximity to objects, but i haven't looked much into time and the effect that has on a person's interpretation of communication. Therefore I would like to research this further.

Changing Transparency

After looking at thermochromic textiles and the way they interact with the body, I have begun to consider what other materials night be available which can change in appearance. I thought it would be interesting if a fabric could begin as a solid colour, and then change to become transparent. This idea led me back to Daan Roosegaarde and his fashion piece Intimacy.



The dress is made from wireless interactive technologies and smart foils which can become transparent. The idea is that the smart foil has a transmitter which when in close proximity with a wireless device (see globe below) the dress becomes transparent.



This idea could be used on multiple garments, with one garment containing the smart foil and the other the wireless device, so that when the garments come in close proximity with each other they will change their appearance, linking back to the idea of communication.

RE: Thremochromic Textiles - Hidden Messages

After further reviewing my visit to the Decode exhibition, I came across this piece by Julius Popp entitled bit.code. It is a large scale installation piece consisting of a large bank of spinning black and white moving energy chains. The energy chains represent the vast quantity of data we receive in our daily lives. As the chains spin they create a confusing image of unreadable information. At certain points, the energy chains align and words become readable. The words which emerge from the chains are a result of software allowing Popp to transmit heavily used words in recent news feeds onto his piece. Therefore, the words which appear are ever changing and relative to what is happening in the world at that precise moment.





This idea of hidden messages can be found in my previous research into thermochromic textiles where, when heat is applied a polka dot design is transformed into another design.



The idea of hidden messages in design could be used to translate the wearers true feelings, much like in Gillian Wearing's Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say.

Non-verbal Communication - Gestures

Mehmet Atken's Body Paint was on exhibition at the V&A. With a black screen in front of you, the piece allowed you to paint a virtual canvas. Atken achieved this using software which translated gestures of the body and dance into an evolving compostition. Simply put, movement creates paint, and your body is the brush.

"Body Paint" Installation at "Clicks or Mortar", March 2009 from Memo Akten on Vimeo.

">

As seen in the video, Body Paint can be experienced by several people at once, transforming their interactions into an art piece, producing an evolving visual image of their communication.

Thermal Imaging

Based on thermochromic textiles I am looking at thermal imaging on the human body.





Emma Pearce created a series of thermal images to document the thermal changes in a hand during the process of drawing and stitch.

Thermochromic Textiles

The idea of something interacting with human presence by changing its appearance has lead me to think about fabrics which can change their appearance based on indicators from the human body. This has lead me to thermochromic textiles. These are textiles which change in colour and vibrancy in different temperatures, in other words, a sort of mood ring of the fabric world.

Textile designer Linda Worbin experiments with thermochromic textils through use of heat sensitive pigments.







The above are a series of images which show an ordinary looking tablecloth, which when heat is applied reveals a completely different design. This opens up the possibility of a hidden message within the design, one which is only visible when heat is applied.

The next series of images show how the colours vibrancy is enhanced when heat is applied.







These fabrics could provide interesting effects on a garment, with warmer parts of the body being more vibrant, creating a sort of thermal imaging effect.

The following images are of the Fabrication Bag, which is designed with a pattern using different layers of thermochromic, ordinary pigment colors and heating elements, turning the textile pattern into a dynamic display that presents incoming calls messages.

Daan Roosegaarde

Having seen some of Roosegaarde's work at the Decode exhibition and the way it interacts with the visitors movement and touch I have decided to look further into his work. His piece, Liquid Space is an interactive space which physically becomes bigger, smaller and brighter in relation to human behaviour.

Liquid Space 6.0_ Daan Roosegaarde from Daan Roosegaarde on Vimeo.

">

This is an example of non-verbal communication, with the piece reacting to the visitors touch and movement and responding by changing its size, brightness and sounds.

Non-verbal Communication

I have been looking into the idea of non-verbal communication, and how things such as our physical environment can influence the way language between two people is interpreted. For example: -

• PROXEMICS - refers to the physical space between the sender and receiver of communication - the space between them can influence the way in which the message is perceived. Proxemics can also play a part in interpretation of an environment when no messages are being passed between people, i.e. can influence how a person feels in a certain environment. Space in non-verbal communication can be divided into four categories: intimate, social, personal and public space.
• CHRONEMICS - refers to time in non-verbal communication. The way we perceive time, structure time and react to time is a powerful communication tool. Time in communication refers to punctuality, willingness to wait, speed of speech, rhythm and tempo, frequency and how long people are willing to listen.
• KINESICS - how people communicate through posture, gesture, stance and movement. Posture is used to determine the recipients interest in the communication. Studies show that mirroring the other participants body language is a sign of favourable listening.

The above examples provide a starting point for ideas within non-verbal communication. These are points I will look into further.

Initial Concept Ideas

After visiting the Decode exhibition my ideas are leaning towards the basis of computing, in that all information is communicated through a series of codes, 1's and 0's. However, what interests me more is the way in which the human mind and body operates in a similar fashion, through the use of nerves and synapses, information is sent to the brain in order to determine the bodies response to certain stimuli, i.e. how the body knows how to respond when toughing something hot. Then there is also the idea of what happens when the communication within a person's body breaks down or is misinterpreted, i.e. conditions such as congenital pain insensitivity, or psychological disorders such as schizophrenia.

Decode: Digital Design Sensations

Yesterday I went to the Decode exhibition at the V&A museum. The exhibition as a whole was fresh and exciting, unlike any other art and design exhibition I have been to. Split into three sections decode investigates the computer Code as a design tool, Interactivity, and how Network charts or reworks traces we leave behind.

One of my favourite pieces was Daan Roosegaarde's Dune, an interactive piece consisting of reeds topped with LED lights that react to sound and movement, lighting up as you walk through them creating a sort of ever changing fantasy world.

Another piece which interested me for it's use of technolgy was Fabrica's Venetian Mirror. When you first stand in front of the mirror you see nothing, but gradually your reflection begins to appear. While surrounded by instantly rewarding pieces in this exhibition one might walk past this mirror and disregard it instantly, it is only when you invest the time in this piece that you reap the rewards. I find this piece rather ironic; in todays society technology arms us with the tools for instant gratification, communication and knowledge, and while this piece is created with the latest technologies the creators make us wait for the end result, perhaps reminding us that in order to appreciate things in life we need to slow down and take a step back.

more on this exhibition to follow...

Subtraction Cutting

In Wednesdays workshop we learnt a new approach to pattern cutting called subtraction cutting. First developed by Julian Roberts the technique consists of subtracting areas of fabric to make a series of tunnels, which in turn gathers and folds the fabric in various ways. The idea is to look at the fabric from an aerial 3D perspective rather than a flat 2D perspective.

During the workshop we created a half size dress by starting with a bag type formation of fabric, which we then cut into, subtracting fabric which would lead to the development of the shape of the dress.

I really enjoyed this technique, I found it interesting to work in a different way and investigate the new possibilities it has opened up for design. I particularly like the unknown that this technique offers, you could have no idea what the garment will turn out like until it is sewn. Having only a basic workshop in this technique I am eager to experiment myself to see how it can be manipulated to create new and innovative design formations. In the future I will consider my fabric choice more carefully, it is obvious that a heavy fabric will hold the folds and gathers of the garment better than the lightweight fabric which I used.