Maia Baillie
Seeing The Unseen
Exploration of Textile Transparency
This collection focuses on the exploration of the coast's natural landscapes, surface textures and found forms. Seeing The Unseen aims to capture the unity of contrasting mediums; glass and print. These forms seek to challenge us into seeing more than what is on the surface, looking through transparent objects to see silhouettes, shadows and indentations in changing light and spaces. The design elements exist in beach textures, weather patterns and landscapes within a coastal environment. The collection colours are inspired by the pure tones of the sea, coast and sky. The textiles aim to capture and celebrate texture, irregularity, transparency, hard materials and natural forms within a raw organic aesthetic. This practice investigated these design elements through a series of processes that include; Glass Casting, Carborundum and Screen Printing.
Transparency in design practice has evolved and been explored by many artists with differing perspectives. The translucency allows a pathway for shadows, silhouettes and light to challenge us into seeing more than what is on the surface. Textures are platforms for space and forms. This practice explores how transparency can be applied to enhance or capture key fundamental design elements.
This collection aims to challenge our interpretation of glass and ways in which it elevates interior spaces. The outputs explore the inclusion of imperfect design as a successful design aesthetic and how taking inspiration from the natural world informs the designs. This body of work celebrates texture, irregularity, transparency, hard materials and natural forms harmoniously. The designer discovered an appreciation for a range of contemporary yet timeless textile techniques. This appreciation allowed recognition of the significance of personally engaging and connecting conceptually to the designs and materials.
The design inspiration for the collection, Seeing the Unseen, evolved from local coastlines: the water, tides, seaweed, sand and rocks. The natural ecosystem operates seamlessly adapting and acclimatising as needed without commotion. Growing up around New Zealand beaches designs draw on a strong sense of belonging and connection towards this environment. This practice aims to illuminate the minute, subtle details that exist but collectively create the scenery we see and experience. As a practice-led textile designer, the work I generate consistently incorporates texture, ambiguity, organic shapes, irregular or varying line work and elements of transparency. The designs are strongly informed by natural landscapes or foundations and created in a handcrafted or multidisciplinary approach.
