yellow house art licensing

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

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

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

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