Experimenting with UV light and Motion

 David Ogle talked to us about how he transforms simple materials by incorporating UV light and  I have subsequently researched other artists who have taken a similar approach. 

Fashion designer Craig Lawrence created a collection of knitted designs which were UV sensitive using optic fibres. The UV sensitive fibres gave the designs a futuristic quality, and created instant visual impact.

Fay Mccaul also creates UV sensitive knits for installations, wall coverings, and partitions. The knitted structures she creates have an eery supernatural quality and remind me of deep sea creatures and jelly fish.

Both of these designers combine modern, futuristic technology with the traditional process of knitting, which I think creates an interesting contrast and tension. In my own samples I sourced  materials that I thought would react under UV light and I also used UV paint to dip my knitted samples into and painted specific areas of the knitting that subsequently looked very different when exposed to UV light and created interesting patterns when in motion.I envision these samples as fashion accessories, as I think they fit well on the body and are complimented by the movement of the body. They also work well simply as knitted sculptures, however if I wanted them to be in this context I think I would create them on a larger scale for greater impact.

I have discovered the Intel 'Make it Wearable' project, which is an initiative to make technology wearable and personal and seamless to use. In my knitted neck sample I wove LED wire into the knit however I could develop this further using more advanced lighting technology, such as LED lights which respond to movement and therefore work in synergy with the wearer.  The video also illustrates what context my work could exist, pushing the boundaries between fashion and technology and how collaboration between the two can create the most innovative results. It shows how fashion and textiles have not yet caught up with the speed of technology, and there is space in the market for design that fuses the two.