Basket-like, basket-what, basket-why...

The graduation project Basket-like, basket-what, basket-why... speculates on the possibilities of mimicking textiles. The idea is demonstrated through the object of the basket for its archetypal textile character. The artist lends it a narrative from the biological world, thus creating a fictional notion of textile mimicry. It is based on research into basket structures at The Centre for Folk Art Production in Slovakia. It traces the mimicry of the basket through structure and pattern, specifically focusing on the relationships of horizontal and vertical interlocking. It manipulates and multiplies spatial and surface illusion, deconstructing it into three views that highlight the multiplicity of perception of an ordinary object and its view through the optics of textile layers. From a gradient pattern creating a spatial basket illusion through the manipulation of spatial effects directly on the jacquard machine, the project culminates in a series of tapestries combining these two principles. They become a subjective translation of basketry principles into textile jacquard weaves, blending the past and craft with the future and digitalisation. Tapestries are an archive of insights into the basket. Through the subjective analytical multiplicity of a particular object, the artist pushes the boundaries of jacquard weaving and draws attention to the nuances in the textile approach. The textiles are unique outcomes that combine self-designed weaves, a pointillist approach of colour synergy and hand intervention. They were created as research at the Textiellab in Tilburg (NL).