My transition from scientist to an artist

It is nearly a year since I graduated with an MA in Fashion and Textiles from Nottingham Trent University. Now, together with some of my fellow Master’s graduates (Brenda Baxter and Janet Wootton), I’m installing work for an exhibition, “Transitions”, which opens tomorrow.

The exhibition reflects on the transitions that occur whilst working towards an MA. For many years I have used traditional hand-knit and crochet techniques. During 2010–2011, I studied for a Graduate Diploma in Fashion Knitwear Design (also at NTU). I was introduced to knitting machines, working both on Dubieds (an old industrial machine) and Brothers (old domestic knitting machines). Both machines are fully manual – nothing happens unless you move the carriage. During my MA I worked mainly with fully computerised knitting machines. You write a programme, transfer it to the knitting machine, press a button and the sample is knitted – well that’s the theory anyway! So, for me, a significant transition was in the technology used, and that is reflected in the pieces I’ll be exhibiting.

As part of an MA application, you have to write a research project proposal. My initial title was “An investigation into the use of natural patterns to produce three-dimensional forms”. Natural forms, both macro and microscopic have inspired many scientists and artists. The starting point for my research was the hand-knit techniques used in constructing traditional garments such as ganseys, socks and hats which are knitted as one piece, i.e. no seams.

I had already experimented with hand-knit mitred squares, by knitting them in the round with four mitres (as opposed to in rows with one mitre). I used this technique to make the Paul Klee throw.

An early task was to knit three basic mitred squares, one by hand, one using a manual machine and one using a fully computerised machine. Knitting garter stitch on a machine involves transferring all stitches from one bed of needles to the other after every row. Given I wanted to knit samples in the round, which uses both beds for every round, garter stitch would not be possible. So, I knitted my three squares using stocking stitch. The three samples look very similar.

However, the process is very different. The hand-knit one is easy to knit. Using a manual machine was a tedious process since on alternative rows every stitch had to be transferred from one needle to the next. And this process would only become more difficult when knitting samples in the round with more than one mitre. It was relatively easy to write a programme to knit a mitred square on a fully computerised machine, and although the sample is not perfect, the problems were resolvable. So by knitting these three samples I discovered that hand-knit and fully-computerised knit were the useful tools for what I wanted to achieve.

I made many more hand-knit samples, one of which was a mitred hexagon. This is easy using hand knit.

However, it is not so straightforward on a fully computerised machine. The machines were designed to produce garments, so people using them are trained to write programmes for garments. So to help me understand how these programmes work I started with a simple hat.

And then started to modify the program to see if I could knit a hexagon. I had a few false starts!

But eventually, I produced a hexagon!

From here I took a scientific approach carrying out experiments. I changed just one parameter, in the programme, to produce a series of related shapes. Thus I was able to work out, by trial and error, how to write programmes for the forms I wanted to produce. At this stage, I felt that my Masters should be of technology rather than arts.

I had already decided to produce ethereal installation pieces incorporating light and had many ideas as to the form of the installations. There were still a lot of other decisions to make: what type of yarn, how to incorporate the light and how to maintain three-dimensional form. All of these involved researching and testing different materials and techniques. I tried different monofilaments, glow-in-the-dark yarn, silk yarn, thermochromatic dyes, normal dyes, fairy lights, resin coating, wire supports. Gradually certain materials and techniques were eliminated until I knew how I would make my final pieces.

Eventually, everything was ready for installation. After two days of working with a scaffold and an electrician, the lights went on for the first time! That moment when I finally knew whether my work would look how I intended.

And after two years of hard work, it was truly wonderful!

I had no idea, when I started this journey, that I could produce any work good enough for the MA Expo. In my previous career, I was a biochemist, then a biology teacher. I had no contact with the world of professional artists.  So, I underwent a personal transition from scientist to an artist, although my scientific training does show in both the approach to my work and the final pieces. I developed an innovative craft-based methodology for working on fully computerised knitting machines which is a transition in the way this technology is used, and for what it is used. And of course, there is the transition from traditional technology to modern industrial technology; I feel my framework knitter ancestors would have appreciated this!