Michelle Taufiq - Wallpaper project report

I chose the subject of Hortus Botanicus as I had researched all three options but felt that the subject of flowers would enable me to experiment more and to use the colour scheme that I wanted to. Researching artists work was really inspiring as there are so many different materials and techniques that can be used. I began by looking back at the college trip to Amsterdam as I remembered many interesting wallpapers and wall coverings that I had come across. These lead me to researching other bold and exciting prints from the internet and a range of books.
My work is influenced both by contemporary and historical textile designers. For example, Jenny Wilkinson who uses a ‘paint by numbers’ idea where the buyer can decide how much of the design has been painted. (Shown on the left.) The concept was inspired from the 1950s and is therefore a historical idea that has been bought into contemporary textile design. Front design produced a wallpaper which had holes in it, made by rats, to reveal a pattern underneath. I thought it was a really innovative idea that bought an element of fun into the design. This led me to think about making a more interactive wall covering with holes in the design to reveal another pattern. I also researched paper artists as it really interests me and I wanted to produce a more 3d final product. Emma Van Leest was one of the artists that I researched. Her work appealed to me as she uses simple paper stencils and layers them to create a more complex but interesting design.
My initial studies were from photographs and real flowers. I tried to utilize the attractive natural colours of the flowers. I used different materials including pencil, watercolours, paints, pen and ink. I became interested in the shadows of the flowers and so produced several paintings using paints and watercolour pencils. However, these did not integrate well with the bigger compositions which I went on to produce and so I therefore decided not to include them in my final designs. I tried to use the idea of this by cutting out the silhouettes of the flowers and used these to produce more abstract images.
My last project on artist’s books was successful and I thoroughly enjoyed making more 3D objects. I therefore wanted to incorporate this into ‘Create your own scene baby!’ I began by thinking about how I could link the origami inspired books with the floral images. The way the Japanese flowers were drawn interested me and I decided to include some of them in my own drawings. Towards the end of the project I decided on making interactive boxes of different sizes which could be stacked up on the floor or placed and moved around the wall. The boxes will be decorated with my floral designs.
During the project I have worked in the print room and taken a flock and foil workshop. I found this helpful, however, I preferred the foiling a lot more as it was more useful for my project. I produced small samples by layering a few different images and found that working on a white background was more effective. (On the left is an example of damask flock on foil.) Another new technique that I explored was gesso. The first time I tried to use it I applied too much onto the wooden block and completely covered my drawing underneath. Nevertheless, I tried again and was much more successful. However, I decided that gesso wasn’t suited to what I aimed to produce in the project.
The visit to Temple Newsam House was extremely interesting and gave me an insight into the development of wallpaper. I found it intriguing how the room where we had the presentation had wallpaper that was covered with many layers of varnish. As the room used to have food prepared, this allowed any spillage to be easily cleaned. This interested me as I had never thought about the multiple purposes that wallpaper has.
The Vivienne Westwood jacket (shown on the left) made in 1999 was the highlight of the trip for me as it showed me how the wallpaper prints could be transformed into other garments for different uses. The print that Westwood used for the jacket was called ‘Le Mouton Chen.’ At first glance it looks like a pretty cottage scene; however, it depicts a shepherdess who has appeared to have lost her top, much to the pleasure of her companion. The diamante studs have a seductive connotation as the jacket is lined with them so they lay against the skin.
The earliest known wallpaper, found in Britain, was from 1509 and was used to cover beams in a dining hall. These wallpapers were made using wooden blocks. With the papers being made from reconstituted rags it was a very laborious process and was therefore extremely expensive to produce.
During the industrialisation in the 19th Century, wallpapers became a lot cheaper to produce than textile hangings. However, the fashion of the day which was favoured by the upper classes was to have flock wallpaper in a damask design (For example the image on the left). These were made by printing a design in adhesive and sprinkling chopped wool over it. Another, less popular design was Toile du jouy (scenes of the day) which was often printed onto oriental papers. These became commonplace in stately homes during the 18th and 19th centuries, which is one reason why these wallpapers have survived.
In the mid 19th century, the industrial revolution became a much bigger factor in the production of wallpaper. Huge developments were made in the paper making process with new machinery, this allowed continuous lengths to be produced. Because of this new technology, the prints could be printed using mechanised wooden and metal rollers. There was increasing demand for new wallpapers and as production was a lot simpler, the majority of people could afford it. However, because of high demand, wood pulp was used to produce the papers as it was cheap and could be processed quickly but this resulted in poorer quality.
William Morris began designing wallpaper in 1864. (An example of his work is the image on the left.) Morris became an exception as he still produced his prints by using wooden blocks and so the quality was much more superior. Morris is now known as one of the finest designers for wallpapers. As most of papers were made using new machines, the UK became less well known for its popular designs and the French took over. During this time, toile de Jouy became increasingly more popular.
By the end of the 19th century there had been many new advances. For example, ‘Sanitaries’ (machine printed papers in oil and varnished) were produced which allowed wallpaper to have more than one purpose. These were used in bathrooms and kitchens.
There are many factors when thinking about the conservation, removal and rehanging of wallpapers. Over time light, temperature and humidity can all be factors. The wallpaper, adhesives, linings, canvas, plaster laths and other elements are all affected in different ways by these factors. Therefore, the conservation of wallpapers is made increasingly more difficult as time goes on. When considering that papers which have been placed in historic buildings have been subjected to heating by candles, oil and coal fires and seasonal changes, they are therefore much more fragile. The structure of the buildings themselves can also cause problems. Damp is a big factor as it encourages mould to grow and can cause the physical weakening of the paper, pigments and adhesives, also cracks can tear the wallpaper surface. Traditional hanging techniques, such as nails, inferior quality lining papers and adhesives can also affect the durability of wallpaper. Finally, the most notable causes of damage are things like, graffiti, furniture scratches, and holes made for fixtures. The way the wallpapers are made also affects how well it can be preserved. For example, 18th century Chinese papers had thin laminate layers which are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes. The pigments and binders, such as animal glue that were used can provide nutrients for insects and are also prone to shrinkage. The results of this are flaking, and eventual loss of the pigment layer.
There are two conservation treatments when treating historic wallpapers. In situ treatments (carried out on site) and the removal and rehanging of the wallpaper. The in situ treatment is used when the damage is minimal, such as dirt and stains. This work can only be carried out on the surface of the paper; however, it is useful for preserving the paper in its original position. When wallpaper needs to be removed, it is taken in as large sections as possible to try to prevent it from breaking down. This can be achieved by using spatulas and blunt knives. Another way is to use chemical sprays and steam to break down the adhesive used. An advantage of this technique is that both the front and back of the wallpaper can be treated. New lining systems can also be added to provide more support to enable the rehanging of the paper.