THINKING THROUGH DRAWING: PRACTICE INTO KNOWLEDGE

(Jeff_L) #1

132 TEACHERs COLLEGE COLUmbIA UNIvERsITy


material Thinking: Drawing to Record, Understand and Respond


familiar and provided flexibility to analyze, select
and modify and refine fabric ideas. A community of
practice was established for the task with reciprocal
mentoring and a sharing of knowledge, expertise
and opinion. This helped with decision-making
and the refinement of individual design ideas. The
images were sent as email attachments for printing
and display at the final day of the symposium.
After the event the designers completed e-ques-
tionnaires, which aimed to obtain their observa-
tions and experiences of the task and whether it
challenged traditional approaches and behaviours.
Some participants identified a change in approach
to designing and others followed very familiar and
predictable methods. In the early stages students
selected words describing objects or processes or
visual images, which were immediately translatable
into knitting (Fig 7). As the task progressed, par-
ticipants started to explore more abstract references
(Fig 8). Some participants commented that access to
a comprehensive yarn and machine resource made
it difficult to make choices and maintain a focus in
production in order to make an effective response
in the time-scale. The possibilities for interpretation
were vast and participants had to limit the choice
available to them and define individual parameters
of materials, equipment and technique. The remote-
ness seemed to offer a more objective analysis of the
words and phrases and less conditioned thinking,
which may have biased their approaches to the task.
It was recognized by the technician that the task was
sufficiently framed to affect a more fluid interaction
with the manufacturing process. He commented on
a willingness to intervene with the production knit-
ting process and change one yarn midway through
the knitting sequence to modify the visual and tac-
tile properties of the fabric. This is contrary to nor-
mal production practice where time is invested in
extensive preparation and planning for an effective
and efficient production of the fabric and free of
manual adjustment.

Conclusion
I recognize that the activity of hand knitting for
some is synonymous with hobby craft and social
circles and considered a form of relaxation and
therapy, in its repetition of production and knit-
ting to instructions to produce garments or gifts for
family and friends. I presented the linear structures
to the delegates at the close of the symposium. The
pieces were presented as products that encapsu-

Figure 7. ‘If you can’t write you draw it’ detail Cath
Hodgkinson


Figure 8. ‘Open-minded’ detail by Stephanie Laird


Figure 9. Knitted structures in progress and dis-
played during the symposium

Free download pdf