Balancing Creative Self-expression with Commercial Design:
Feedback from academic peer (BA Hons Fine Art & Textiles)
Background in fine art and a design specialism mirrors my own in many ways. Our shared experience of being torn between the fine art and design allowed for meaningful a discussion, during which we identified a shared impulse for introspection and deep personal self expression. However, we also acknowledged that we both experienced a greater sense of empowerment since studying design, feeling that it enabled us to engage with subjects of deep personal interest but in a way that was commercially aware and offered a more more structured and purposeful platform for bringing our ideas into the world, one that allowed for both artistic freedom and the opportunity to reach wider audiences.
The feedback session encouraged me to reconsider the way I could bridge the gap between my personal practice and the practical demands of the design world. Our discussion highlighted how embracing design could provide not only a platform for artistic expression but also a framework for creating a sustainable and impactful brand. Inspired by this conversation, my current project explores how I can position my work at the intersection of art and design, integrating my personal identity and artistic values with a thoughtful, commercially aware business model. It pushed me to think about how my practice could retain its authenticity while appealing to a broader audience, and how my brand could reflect both my creative vision and the pragmatic aspects necessary for growth and engagement in today’s market. Through this exploration, I am striving to find a balance that allows me to continue expressing my artistic ideas while also establishing a cohesive and dynamic presence in both the artistic and design communities.
Eco Printing and Organic processes
The visual effects produced through eco-printing reminded me of the ethereal qualities of sagar-fired pottery, previously explored in the module. Both processes rely on the transformative nature of organic media to produce unpredictable, organic results created through the unification of heat, fire, water, and earth.
This connection between eco-printing and ceramic firing prompted me to think further about how a process-driven approach could allow me to work closely with nature to create design artefacts that reference the sublime by embodying themes of impermanence, entropy and forces beyond human control. After studying the practice of textile artist Nicola Brown, I found myself increasingly interested in the process led approaches which allow nature itself to dermine the final form – much like my experimental ice and glass sculptures refelcted on in phase 1.
Having considered how my practice could evolve in this direction, it also caused me to reflect on the possibility of finding a balance between creative expression, a deep engagement with nature, and the creation of designs that resonate with, and are accessible to contemporary consumers through products such as sustainable wearables or wall art. By embracing a process-driven practice, I could not only explore profound themes of the sublime but also offer accessible, meaningful work that speaks to today’s need for sustainability and thoughtful design.
CATHY DAVIES 