The weavers that I have met through this research know how to collaborate and best support each other at each stage of the making process. Prior to completing my research in Bristol, Juliet from Dash & Miller suggested that I contact Lindsey Waterton Taylor in the School of Design at the University of Leeds, in order to find out more about the latest developments in weaving technology. Lindsey has recently set up a state of the art multi-shuttle Jacquard weaving loom on campus at the 3D Weaving Innovation Centre (3D WIC) with funding from the EU. Thanks to Juliet’s introduction, I was able to plan a trip to Leeds to meet with Lindsey and observe the loom in action.
The Jacquard looms at Dash & Miller in Bristol, and at the University of Leeds, have individual heddles/harness cords which are digitally operated. The Jacquard over the multi-shuttle weaving technology has a motor for each heddle-harness cord. This means that the ends can be lifted one at a time, rather than grouped in sequence on shafts, as one sees in the workings of a hand loom. This enables the weaver to achieve all kinds of weave structures, with designs constructed using divergent patterns and highly complex imagery.
At the 3D WIC, Lindsey is working at the cutting edge, exploring the potential of this multi-shuttle Jacquard weaving technology (loom) in the production of near-net-shaped preforms, 2D-3D woven structures for end applications including: fashion, architecture and civil engineering. At the end of January, I spent the afternoon with Lindsey and her team, looking at the range of 3D prototypes they had developed. We spoke in detail about the potential of the specialist equipment and Lindsey’s hopes for the future of the department. I was struck once more by the intellectual prowess of the weavers that I met, each bright-eyed and quick thinking. As we chatted, it was great to find common ground so easily. We all share a curiosity about form, technique and material qualities.
Watching the looms over the last few months, in Bristol and in Leeds, has left an indelible imprint on my mind. Whenever I have handled, worn, or worked with woven cloth, I have found it miraculous in its structure and invention – whether plain silk satin, or gaudy 50’s metallic brocade. Through this research some of the mystery has been solved, but there is still so much for me to explore. I am now even more aware of how much experience and human energy is held within each of the fabrics that I have in my possession at home, and at my disposal as an artist.
