One element of design that I was drawn to last year within my work was pattern.
The definition of pattern or arrangement (Cambridge dictionary, 2021) is ‘any regularly repeated arrangement, especially a design made from repeated lines, shapes, or colours on a surface’. I like to use patterns in my work as a way of experimenting as it is a way to use already existing work to create new possibilities. It also creates balance and I like the geometric way of using it.
I have researched some artists and designers that use patterns within their work and have also provided examples of patterns in my work from last year, as well as developing some of it recently.
Cambridge Dictionary (2021) ‘Pattern’ Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pattern Accessed: 13/10/21
William Morris
William Morris was a British textile designer associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement which was a group of artists who looked to traditional crafts in contrast to industrialisation, mass production and consumerism. Morris was best known for his wallpaper designs and for his advice to “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. During his career, William Morris produced over 50 wallpapers.
William Morris said:
Remember that a pattern is either right or wrong. It cannot be forgiven for blundering, as a picture may be which has otherwise great qualities in it. It is with a pattern as with a fortress, it is no stronger than its weakest point.
William Morris and wallpaper design (Date unknown) Available at:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/william-morris-and-wallpaper-design Accessed: 13/10/21
Last year I created a typeface using elements of Morris’ patterns.
I decided to develop it further by creating patterns out of the typeface and I noticed that the birds in a circle looked like flowers so I created a digital painting of a vase and flowers.
Damien Hirst
Butterfly Wings
Damien Hirst also uses patterns in his art. His famous Kaleidoscope paintings are made up of thousands of butterfly wings that are placed in intricate patterns reminiscent of stained-glass windows.
Sarah Morris
Sarah Morris is an artist influenced by Pop, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and architecture. Her paintings feature hard-edge geometric abstraction that explores the physicality and psychology of cities.
Pattern out of elements of typography
I created these patterns out of elements of typography. It helped me view letter forms in a different, more spacial way.