The Material Engagement of Craft and Feminism
This exhibition catalogue demonstrates a celebration of material engagement and shows the complexity of female-led hand-craft crochet and how it can generate space in Manchester. The following display of work tested and supported the theory of ‘crochet as architecture’ through the use of making and engaging.
The work reflects my extensive testing and engagement with crochet as a structure, developed through tension, tensegrity, and suspension models, a 1:1 installation prototype applied physically to context, and a 1:500 site model. The following work also demonstrates the aesthetics of crochet as a structural installation through lighting and shadow testing and the application of various materials to provide protection and comfort.
In summary, physical creation has allowed my work to benefit from advanced three-dimensional thinking, communication, and user engagement through the use of materiality testing, structural integrity testing, and many design iterations. The research produced in studio three has opened many design skills and ways of thinking for me as a designer. I wish to continue this crafting into practice and work with a company that also sees the value in physical making.
