Liverpool: Blended Elements

"..a complex and wonderful city, full of life and character."

My collection is based upon my home city of Liverpool. The diverse mix of people and cultures that has over centuries created a unique cultural spot that has always and continues to be an exciting place to visit or call home. My work brings together elements found in my wanderings of the city and pieces from the city's museums, galleries and library archives. This technique of picking up elements from all over and mixing them together echoes the realities of a major port city. Josef Franks’ patterns really inspired my own work as his pieces tell stories in a way I want to emulate, by using simple motifs to describe a complex and wonderful city, full of life and character.

I have avoided the obvious motifs that people would normally find synonymous with the city. My patterns aren’t recognisably Liverpool and are instead made up of many smaller elements that combine to represent a mixture of cultures and characters.

“What business have we with art at all unless all can share it?”

I want people to find my work appealing, visually interesting and commercial but at closer inspection recognise elements from their surroundings and on a deeper level themselves in the concept. My target audience is the people I have grown up with and work alongside; industrious working-class people who want and deserve nice things in their homes. I am a strong believer of William Morris’ ethos “What business have we with art at all unless all can share it?” (William Morris letter to The Manchester Examiner, 1883) and my dissertation discussed the journey of high-end design into the working-class home.

I have designed a range of interior fabric samples and products such as cushions, plates and wallpapers. By being aware of techniques, materials and use of colour, my products can be recreated commercially and most importantly affordably for the masses.

Colour Palette

Avoiding the obvious colours of football teams and the purple of the infamous wheelie bins, the colour palette was developed separately from the subject. I have always been drawn to Blue and White as a colour combination, and through colour and trend research I identified pops of colour that could be added for a new, but commercially viable, take. This adds another layer to the story, the idea of elements appearing in a different colour than its origins, embodies the blending that has been so important to creating our unique city.

Product Design

I started to recreate the products designed for my show, even more affordably, to sell on and start my own Liverpool-based business. Throughout the process I have received a lot of interest into what I am creating and the inspirations behind the collection and I think with the right ethics and William Morris ethos behind me I have created products people will enjoy and invest in. I have in the past sold these in the Curated Makers pop up shops, the Merseymade store and online via Etsy.