Wall covering Report including Temple Newsam visit – By Krista Turney

From the first reading of the brief I knew I wanted to create a wall covering that was hand made and bespoke. I wanted it to be of high quality and beautiful; easily recognisable as an expensive and unique wall covering. I also wanted to expand my knowledge and experience of lino printing, which featured heavily in my last project. I loved the process and aesthetic qualities, and so wanted to push my ideas using this technique. My initial idea was very basic, a single length of wallpaper with a lino cut design printed onto it.

During the weeks research I focused on Hortus Botaniacus. I looked at a range of books, magazines and wallpaper artists. I was most inspired by colour pallets, pinks and corals; texture, or things that looked like they were textured; and also designers who pushed the boundaries of wallpaper. The wall coverings that really inspired me where the ones that did something different; either by being interactive or using a material that is not normally associated with wall coverings, like grass. Although in the end my wall covering was not as original, nor as inventive as these examples, they did however inspire my panels of wallpaper. After researching this type of work I decided I didn’t want my covering to be a run of the mill, length of wallpaper; I wanted it to be a little more exciting and engaging. In a way my panels are interactive, although only until they are stuck down in place. They come in no particular order and can therefore be hung in any design or pattern; scattered over a wall with vast areas of space between like a series of painting or photographs would be arranged, or close together in an ordered fashion giving the impression of a more conventional wallpaper. So to some extent the customer has artistic licence. Deborah Bowness’ wallpaper, although is actually a length of paper gives the appearance of printed panels hung together to create a complete image. I think this design is very successful and it also has the bespoke quality I want for my covering.

I choose to visit Temple Newsam, as I am very interested in the history and technical side of art. I have always had a passion and hunger to learn new things and this particularly applies to how and why things are made. The tour of the house focused on just this. We were told about wallpaper design and manufacture, and how they are working to restore the house with wallpapers from centuries past. The day began with an introductory talk entitled ‘Mary to Morris- a brief guide to wallpaper.’ We were told about the origins of wallpaper dating back to the 15th century, when printed images began to be more commonly seen. Through the 16th and 17th centuries printing became more versatile and practical, being used as linings and even ornate features of every day object such as ladies fans. Between 1570 and 1600 the very first wallpapers were produced. By 1680 squares of paper began to be assembled into rolls of wallpaper. This is something that was already a factor in my design, how to create a roll of wallpaper out of smaller sheets of paper, considering joins and pattern match. It was explained to us that these were things that designers from past centuries also had to think about. The wallpaper was block printed so the paper it was printed on would be just lager than the printing block, then these small panels of paper were glue together with animal glue to make rolls of wallpaper.

The week before going to Temple Newsam I attended a ‘flock and foil’ workshop in the print room. Although it is not seen very often, I have always liked the look of flock. I love the way you can see that it is slightly raised away from the surface which instantly makes you want to touch it. It also adds another dimension to the design. For example I have seen it on cards , as opposed to using glitter, as it gives the same effect of luxury and uniqueness. On the visit we learnt about how flock was first used in wallpaper. It was designed in England in t he late 17th century and was made from ‘choplet wool’ wool that had basically been chopped over and over u ntil it becomes almost powdery. It was invented to imitate velvet, which was very expensive in England because it had to be imported in due to the lack of silk available. At this time velvet was 25 shillings a yard and in comparison flock was just 4 shillings a yard. We were shown examples of flocked wallpaper that were recovered from the house before the renovation had begun. These samples, although worn and faded, looked remarkably similar to the examples we had made only a week previous. It really amazed me how a technique so old still has a place in the modern world of design.

We were also told that the relationship between wallpaper and textile design was as strong back then as it is now. The 18th century saw the first printed textiles. Also around that time it became fashionable to have embroidered paper, because the cost was so much cheaper than printed paper. Metal thread was sewn into the paper to create strips of silver, which were opulent and showed wealth. We saw some of this wallpaper around the house and this technique works very effectively, giving the illusion of grandeur at a relatively low cost in the day. In 1864 the 8 colour printing machine was created, this revolutionised they way wallpapers were made. This invention meant that wallpaper could easily be mass produced; 8 separate printing blocks no longer needed to be cut and carve to create an 8 colour design. The machine used rollers to apply the colour to the paper which meant faster manufacture, but poor quality. This matter was addressed in 1851, which saw the Great Exhibtion take place. The exhibition show case the latest in Britsh design, but it was obvious that the invention of the 8 colour printing machine had killed the craftsmanship wallpaper had always shown. After the exhibition wallpaper companies began to employ new designers to bring back the passion and skill that was lacking from recent years. Owen Jones, William Morris and Walter Crane were amongst some of the designers that help the reinvention which began the arts and crafts movement.

One particular wallpaper from the house really inspired my design idea. It instantly stood out from the rest of the house’s restored wallpapers because it looked so modern. I first saw it in the presentation we were given, a length of the original was held next to the reproduction that they had recently had made. It was hard to believe that this was actually designed in the 17th century. It had a pale grey/blue background with white, mid grey and dark grey printed on top. I was amazed at how three dimensional the design looked even though only three tones were used. The arches really seemed to be standing away from the paper. Immediately I wanted to use this idea in my work. I didn’t know how to go about it or what technique to use, but I knew I wanted to achieve something that was as simple yet effective as this wallpaper.

I was still wondering how I could combine my original ideas with the look of the wallpaper that I had been so inspired by when I was told in my printmaking elective to research ‘lino reductions’ for next weeks lesson. I had never herd of this technique before but was exited at the prospect of getting the chance to learn new lino printing processes. After researching this method of printing I understood the general idea but didn’t really think it was a process that would enrich my work. However purely because I ran out of time and was unable to carve the whole of my sheet of lino I discovered how this technique was the exact thing I needed to make my design ideas work. By creating single roses using lino print reduction I could make give the flowers depth and even a slightly three dimensional feel. Next I questioned what to print on to. I had done some samples to see if the lino reduction would work as successfully as I had hoped onto newsprint, cartridge paper and tea stained paper, but it felt too clean and quite unexciting. I spoke about this in a group crit and decided to print onto black and white print outs of the roses.

I love the lino print panels; they are exactly how I wanted them look, sophisticated and unique. I have managed to stay true to my original ideas as well as enriching them with effects I liked in other wall coverings. Although I was pleased with how they had turned out I wanted to continue to push my designs. I decided to try some of the new techniques that I had learnt in the workshop I attended so I also created foil, flocked, embossed and screen printed panels to accompany the lino reductions. Overall I am delighted with how the panels look as a whole. From my original and very basic idea of a length of wallpaper with lino cut roses on, I have managed to push my ideas to create a diverse range of panels which have evolved and grown into a piece of work I am truly proud of.