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Shaggy Modernism – Work bringing together digital drawing with traditional craft

Hutchinson examines the potential for the application of digital drawing techniques to update the traditional craft process involved in the production of the ‘Proggy Mat” (a pastime of the miners wife in nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain, using a simple form of weaving from rags). Numerous drawings were made daily using a standard mobile phone, whilst travelling or relaxing in the evening. They represent a range of activity from the mindless doodle to the considered abstract composition. The drawings were monochrome to emphasise the modernity of their minimalist concept. This was intended to make greatest contrast with the handmade patterns of their predecessors. The chosen designs were then transferred to a hessian backing which was then laboriously ‘progged’ with felt by hand, in the traditional manner of production. This work explores how the open source software development model has been incorporated into the language of cultural participation, involving interdisciplinary approaches to skill-sharing and collaboration.

‘Shaggy Modernism’ was exhibited in ‘Open Source Embroidery’ an exhibition curated by Ele Carpenter, bringing together artistic research which explores new technology in relation to craft. The exhibition included material and digital works that made visible the physical characteristics of technology and social communications networks, and featured artists from the UK, Sweden, Japan and the USA. The exhibition opened at BildMuseet, Umeå University, Sweden (6 June - 6 September 2009), touring to the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, California, USA, (2 October 2009 - 24 January 2010).