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Apr032020

One Dot Does Not a Pattern Make - Sarah Campbell Designs

This is a blog written by Yellow House's newest signing -  Sarah Campbell.

Sarah is renowed for her surface pattern designs and here are her thoughts on pattern and how patterns are everywhere in our lives. It makes interesting reading. 

soft blue spot

A little while ago I was asked to give a lecture on the principles of pattern.

I called the talk ‘One dot does not a pattern make, Nor one straight thread a warp‘, the rhythm of my lines being based on these of Richard Lovelace:

‘Stone Walls do not a Prison make, Nor Iron bars a Cage;’

from his poem ‘To Althea, from Prison’ written in 1642 – all too apt for these days of isolation and the arrest of the usual day-to-day.

weaving, warps

 My workshop students will have often heard me talk about, and seen me demonstrate, pattern as the accumulation of marks. Following this idea, a pattern is a gathering of many single marks organised to make a whole – just as a community is built of many individuals co-operating to make a cohesive entity.

woodblock pips

These months are particularly momentous for societies around the world, pivoting on the current and unprecedented pandemic. Both globally and in each of our own more personal communities, co-operation for the greatest good – for survival – is paramount. The welfare of the community is dependant on the health and goodwill of the individual. We are connected, whether apart or together.

soft dots

I’ve based this blog on my slightly poetic reflections about pattern that I read out at the talk. 

 

pattern as pulse – continuum 

                                                                                                                        continuum                                                                                                                                               

pattern as rhythm – beat

                                                                                                                     heartbeat

 

pattern as accumulation – many marks make the whole


 mexican dots

 

pattern as community – co-operation


 

pattern as celebration – joy


Mexican Dancers


 pattern as comfort – depend upon it


 clockface   

       

pattern as structure – organisation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          pharoah wool shawl


 pattern as beauty – look at the flowers

                                                                                                                         sunflower scarf

 

pattern as decoration –  repeat again


                                                                                                                 strawberry thief

 

pattern as identity –  we belong  


                                                                                                                      kente_dems

 

pattern as protection – moths and tigers


                                                                                                               butterfly-camouflage

 

pattern as messenger –  nature beckons, nature warns    

                                                                                                                  bee and foxglove

 

pattern as salesman –  look, love, wear 


new linen coat

 

pattern as predictor – of behaviour

                                                                                                                                                                    people being people

 

pattern as revelation – negative – or positive?


 positive negative

 

pattern as life – infinitely renewing


                                                                                                                             springtime

 

Here it is as uninterrupted text:

pattern as pulse,    continuum

pattern as rhythm,    beat

pattern as accumulation,    many marks make the whole

pattern as community,    co-operation

pattern as celebration,    joy

pattern as comfort,    depend upon it

pattern as structure,    organisation

pattern as beauty,    look at the flowers

pattern as decoration,    repeat again – for fun

pattern as identity,    we belong

pattern as protection,    moths and tigers

pattern as messenger,    nature beckons, nature warns

pattern as salesman,    look, love, wear

pattern as predictor,     of behaviour

pattern as revelation,    negative – or positive?

pattern as life,   infinitely renewing

 

red leaves and insects

 

This is sent from my so-far-so-good cocoon – separate, protected, alone but not really isolated I hope, and busy thinking, reflecting, making, doing, inventing, painting, planning – and maybe even sorting out some of the thousand boxes!

 

Dali's kiss

 

Take great care of yourselves, wash your hands, keep your distances, be very precautious, be sad, be glad, be kind and be well. Let’s hope for a far more equitable and imaginative society for all of us when we emerge.

 

sun moon and stars, thanks Miro

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