The Next Level...

Started to think about applying ceramics and textiles together - not sure how ... If the textiles go into the kiln, originally attached/stitched to the clay, the fabric will burn away from the extremely high heat, although this might leave an interesting pattern/texture. Or.... I pre-drill the clay ready to be embroidered post-firing, and then fix textiles or just embroider my pieces (Claire Coles style, see below).
Definitely some chances to experiment around.
Whilst thinking about these ideas, I've started to look at other artists that encorporate this.

Hella Jongerius
Designer, well known for the special way she fuses industry and craft, high and low tech, traditional and the contemporary. Now runs her own projects and projects for clients through her company, Jongeriuslab.

"Embroidered Tablecloth

Decoration is reintroduced as a meaningful component in design. The merging of plate and cloth, which results from the embroidery, distorts the functionality of both items and can be considered a comment on the link between functional objects and compulsory conventions (eating). The patterns of the flower and the dragon are inspired by 14th- and 15th-century Ming vases in the Museum Het Princessehof in Leeuwarden."

This project caught my eye....

"IKEA PS Pelle, Mikkel and Gullspira

Year: 2009
Material: Wool, cotton, decorations embroidered by hand
Dimensions: 93 x 70 cm
Commission: IKEA, Sweden
Production: IKEA
Category: Unlimited production

An IKEA-Unicef project that helps Indian women to earn a living and meet other women while their children attend school. The wall-hangings result from both industrial and craft production and honour the role of the craftspeople, as each specific fabric carries the name of the woman who contributed to it. The images are taken from Swedish fairy tales, a reference to IKEA’s homeland. This kind of time-consuming craftsman­ship can only be done at affordable prices when commissioned by manufacturers who can produce and distribute the objects in large quantities."

Loosely links in with my interest in art therapy, but obviously on a much bigger and more commercial scale.