Description

Cindy Wang > Material Symphony

Research question:

How can I engineer sound in textiles through traditional craft technologies to evoke an emotional response?

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

I aim to engineer textiles through traditional craft techniques to produce unexpected sounds. Extending the application of my materials to the art of physical performance, I aim to encourage an appreciation of possibilities in textiles beyond the visual and tactile – a third sonic dimension. What is the context for the project? Sound is the sense with the strongest evocative power and a considerable emotional trigger. Our environment is full of sound but as yet is seldom deliberately produced within textiles and fashion. Indeed textiles are often used to suppress sound. I wish to celebrate the sounds that textiles can make and invoke an element of joy and surprise.

HOW DID TEXTILES INFORM YOUR RESPONSE?

I have found that many textiles, individually and in combination, have a sonic quality that can be overlooked. By experimenting with a variety of materials and techniques I have enhanced existing sounds and found ways to produce new combinations of sound. In conjunction with other materials, textiles acquire new sonic qualities that can be developed creatively. I can also make use of the appearance of textiles to misdirect my audience’s expectations of the sound produced.

WHAT INSPIRED THE PROJECT?

The initial inspiration for the project was a desire to recreate the comforting feeling of environmental sounds. I also gathered inspiration from the materials and sounds that surround us.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF TEXTILE FUTURES?

I consider that the future of textiles is linked to physical feeling and emotional experience. I aim to bring a new appreciation of sound into textile design, and invite the audience to see the field of textile design from a different angle and to appreciate the sonic potential of textiles.

KEY WORDS

Sound, Traditional Craft, Environment, Emotion, Surprise, Performance

Email ~ feifo518@hotmail.com