Amelia Tillott BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
I am knitwear designer inspired by activism and creating obscure textures to portray my concepts to question our everyday life.
My project was influenced by surveillance, close observation and the personal data withheld on our technical devices.
I was intrigued by the term ‘Shadow Profile’, this is when online platforms collect information about people without their consent or knowledge.
This inspired me to survey my housemates on our interactions and moods which provoked a lot of emotions. I was also intrigued by how modern surveillance in recent years has become an accepted norm in society.
The aim of the project was to allow people to question whether they should feel comfortable with being surveyed without permission and how facial recognition is rapidly growing.
I carefully selected obscure yarns such as, monofilament, reflective, polypropylene, silk and steel to demonstrate various material purposes through my collection of samples to resemble the world of the unconscious under surveillance.
My primary research influenced my project to explore a 3D approach within knitted samples, this was aimed to create a natural shape to portray entrapment of close observation. As a designer, my practice is concept driven to add depth and personal meaning to move my audience. My practice questions social issues through manipulating the structure of knit and creating peculiar form by experimenting with various industrial knitting techniques.
It is important for me as a designer to create textiles that can connect closely with an audience to benefit living standards and to create an open space where social issues can be discussed, whether you’re wearing the garment or seeing it in a show.
