Fourth year
at massey university
Material Colour
Rug tufted collection
using Hand dyed yarn
‘Material Colour’ examines colour theory through the medium of rug tufting.
With an aim to explore the relationship between surface, structure, colour and form, this collection foregrounds a material, tactile and interactive experience of colour. By utilising carefully hand dyed rug yarns, machine tufting techniques and colour contrasts, this rug collection allows colour to interact with its surface, playing with both touch and sight.
I have always felt that colour captures the viewer, inviting you to take the next step which is often touch. This raises the question, how can we interact with colour in ways beyond the purely visual? As well as, how can colour translate into touch?
This collection celebrates the intense relationship that colour contrasts have, whilst emphasising colours materiality through surface play.
This whole year has been based around my research into colour theory and material colour, leading me to test and dye yarns in order to make this collection -Material Colour.
To achieve clean cut tufted levels on each rug I used a sheep shearer. I wanted to carefully add layers to my rug on the areas that are supposed to stand forward (high paper fold sections of the design sit higher than the back layer). This meant carefully trimming the rug to specific heights in order to achieve a more 3D effect to the design.
Each colour has been dyed by hand. This started as a small sampling process, then was upscaled to 12l pots and 48l winch baths. Each coloured hank weighs 600g and dyed using Acid Dye. Acid dye allows the colour to stick to the wool creating beautiful vibrant colour each time. The dye process is very long and full of risks, but the end result is worth every bumpy step!
