To most, the idea of fending for ourselves without technology,
heating or even access to clean water seems hardly comprehendible. Developing your body and imagination to learn how to fight and defend yourself from animals, protect yourself from disease and
infection or creating a fire without man made assistance is almost unimaginable. To a select few this lifestyle of supposed simplicity and self-efficiency is one most desirable. The separation and
seclusion from our rapidly developing world creates a space where one can cultivate their want for a more fundamental way of life. However, when led back to modern day society the harsh reality of what you are faced with can be incredibly overpowering.
Differing fabric structures pair together will create the balance
between the cruelty and harsh reality of modern day society and the blissful, oblivious lives of people detaching themselves from the rest of the world. Soft flowing, lightweight chiffons and silks will be paired with structured cottons and tight knitted wools.
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Tom Neale over 3 periods of time spent a total of 16 years of his life living alone on Suvarov Island in the Cook Islands. He spent 30 years of his earlier life roaming the Pacific Ocean with work in the Navy then hopping between islands looking for local work. Neale visited Suvarov in 1945, but it wasn’t until 1952 when he had the opportunity to live there.
Neale got dropped off on the island with his two cats, water tanks, building equipment, books and some food supplies. When exploring the island further Neale found remnants left over from coast watches during the Second World War, this consisted of a small broken boat, wild pigs and chickens. The wild pigs soon started to eat Neale’s food resources and so he had to domesticate them along with the chickens.
Neale had to return to main Islands a few times due to serious illness or injury. During his times back on the main lands he fell in love, married and had children, however, he felt his life incomplete. He lacked emotional attachment to anything other than the island so returned to live the rest of his life.
“I cannot look back on that time without the most wretched memories of a continual frustration, knowing that it was only a bare five hundred miles away.”
When back on the main land Neale felt trapped to live by societies rules and confinements leaving him in a limbo sate while having to choose between his wife and children or the island. His desire and need to live his life on the island away from societies restrictions proved strong enough to draw his back, creating the separation from his family.
Read Tom Neale's report from his life on the island, 'An Island To Oneself' here.
solitude
need
sheltered reality
fantasy
desire
want
isolation
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Watch a video exploring the abandoned island of Suvarov here.
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Sheltered realities provide a comfort zone, an area of pure privacy and relaxation where the stresses of working life can easily take over are left behind.
Soft, leightweight fabrics with muted tonal prints will embody the desire and dreamlike lust for a secluded, simple life.
sheer
dream
diaphanous
light
translucent
cover
camouflage
Soft, subdued prints with a muted tonal pallet will connote the separation and loneliness of life detached from society.
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Furthering print ideas to develop themes considering a life sheltered from reality. The soft colour pallet consists of natural tones taken from desolate landscapes. The repeat in the prints suggest a repetitive lifestyle, of simplicity and ease.
sheltering
conceal
mask
recollection
reminisce
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Lia Melia creates these scenic art works with the combinational use of powdered
pigments and solvents. Through the use of soft colours and a less amount of the
Alone and creating a world for yourself, large empty space can seem intimidating and overpowering. On a deserted island the lack of enclosed spaces and separation between two areas can create an unnerving atmosphere for most. An enclosed space with four walls creates a safety zone, where you can detach yourself from the fears of the outside world, yet knowing it still offers you all its safety.
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Lia Melia creates these scenic art works with the combinational use of powdered
pigments and solvents. Through the use of soft colours and a less amount of the
pigment dyes, parts of these images show fragility and delicacy, just before the wave crashes. This limbo area of pure calm and smooth waters is contrasted beautifully with the harsh, depths of the thunderous crash below.
remote
unseen
consume
overwhelm
engulf
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This print was developed using wet fabric with powdered dyes. The moisture absorbs the powder which allows the dyes to merge and bleed together to create these markings. Using this as a base print idea I have developed three more digital prints which still all convey a soft, carefree, dreamlike space however with more of a directional force and tailored outcome
These prints can never be predicted or directionally used to be stylised for a specific look. Each outcome is individual and changes depending upon quantity of water and
powdered dyes, fabric and surface.
As the dyes react with water, garments wouldn’t be able to be directly hand printed with this method as washing the garments would rinse out the dyes. These prints will be digitally printed onto fabrics which has the advantages of a cleaner look and garment washing.
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This print was developed by painting bubble wrap with brusho dyes, water based acrylic paints and a small amount of water. Once almost dry the coloured bubble wrap lays face down onto fabric and left under a heat press for 12 seconds. The dye and paint transfers onto the fabric leaving marks from the bubble wrap. The heat press dries and set the print onto the fabric, however, as the dye and paint reacts with water this will be used as a digital print.
These prints can never be predicted or directionally used to be stylised for a specific look. Each outcome is individual and changes depending upon quantity of water, powdered dyes and acrylic, fabric and time left to dry.
The lighter the weight of the fabric, the more fragile and delicate the outcome becomes. Using an extremely fine chiffon under high heat with the bubble wrap caused a hole in the fabric. The mark left behind shows the delicacy and vulnerability of the material.
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Here the print devised from the combination of bubble wrap, brusho dyes, acrylic and heat had been transformed into a digital single tone print. The developed print is a subtle yet more thought provoking version of the original.
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Thumbnail sketches of initial ideas, testing if the concept works when designing. Following the concept, the garments will have a clean, minimal appearance with focus to fabric choice and print. From my initial ideas parts that noticeably didn’t work as well were pleated or tucked designs, clothing with a large quantity of material would defeat the desired minimal appearance. Places where the designs started to develop were with the addition of panels for different materials to be introduced.
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