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- Title of Exhibit Proposal:
Response Wallpaper? (Ref #234)
- Date:
- 08-01-2007 09:21:51
- Status:
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Accepted with revisions
- Rating:
- 7
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Details:
- Traditionally, wallpaper has been considered superfluous decoration; aesthetically pleasing patterns which covered bare walls. My work aims to readdress this issue and to question the role of wallpaper in the contemporary environment.
Response Wallpaper? is a collection of wall coverings which combine traditional silk screen printing with innovative heat and light sensitive inks, to create papers which react to changes in environmental conditions. For example, a wallpaper printed with foliage bursts into blossom as it is bathed in sunlight from a nearby window, or as a room temperature increases, a simple floral print becomes peppered with butterflies.
By combining a traditional technique with an innovative material, the resultant piece no longer falls into the categorary of static decoration, provoking a re-evaluation of wallpaper as a dormant backdrop. Wallpaper has now become interactive, constantly evolving in reaction to its environment. Further developments will explore Response Wallpaper? and its role in climate change. Through investigation at both the chemical and printing stage, the development of a wallpaper which acts as an indicator of room temperature, i.e. when a room is hotter than the recommended average temperature, will be developed. By creating a paper which not only has a function, but which addresses global concerns such as climate change, wallpaper?s reputation as superfluous design is further questioned.
The papers would be presented in room settings, contstructed using false walls. Three seperate rooms are proposed, each approx 1.5m sq, displaying 3 different wallpapers and co-ordinating lampshades. Each room setting would be accessorised with relevant paraphanalia to create the impression of a domestic setting. Apparatus such as daylight light bulbs and fan heaters will be installed into the rooms on either timers or public accessable switches to allow the required changes in environmental conditions. This interactive element to the exhibit will invite the viewer to engage with the piece and experience it first hand, hopefully stimulating them to consider the piece's relevance in their own lives.
This project was initially funded by Ideasmart, the NESTA backed programme at The Lighthouse in Glasgow which supports innovative ideas by Scottish designers. All intellectual property and rights remain that of the creator.
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