Alison Gunn

My design practice is driven by the use of narrative. I have always been fascinated by people’s personal stories and how these enrich our understanding of individuals and the wider world. My work explores the concept of autotopography – the ‘mapping of self’ by creating a spatial biography through the objects we surround ourselves with and environments we inhabit. Examining the emotional and physical characteristics of objects and places that carry stories, allows me to consider how to reconstruct this information as textile design.

Using dead stock, remnants, vintage blankets and rejected clothing I create fabric collage that can be used for interior applications such as upholstery and wall display. Textiles are embellished through machine and digital embroidery. Depth and shadows are created through heat embossing, reverse applique and trapunto. I use a combination of techniques to explore the hidden qualities of the fabrics and allow the materials to have agency in the creative process

My concept offers a way to resolve conflicting emotions of dealing with disposal of a family members belongings, by providing a method to record and express the ‘significance’ of ordinary objects and place in their personal landscape. These pieces offer a tangible, functional item while addressing ethical questions around inheritance, disposal, and the emotional value we attach to objects.

I worked through the initial idea of ‘lost property’ to explore the emotional significance of objects and the implications for textile design using innovative research techniques. Inspired by Glenn and Walker’s study of Significant Objects (2012) I delivered a collaborative workshop with a group of writers to examine how imaginative narrative can enhance the design information of an object. I curated a range of personal and collected objects to act as writing prompts. The stories generated a rich source of  information that prompted imaginative and intuative design ideas beyond the materiality of the objects. I further rationalised the group of objects and examined how these domestic expressions of self are mirrored in my external visual interests while travelling in Europe in the late 1980s. The objects, places and spaces provided a litany of ideas often seemingly unconnected and disparate. Metaphorical techniques such as collage and card sorting then allowed me to find connections and patterns across the years that consolidated the key principles of my own topography. The use of headstock, industry waste and rejected clothing and techniques to combine and manipulate fabric required an engagement with the process of making tht respected the qualities of the materials and their autonomy in the creative process.