Kathleen Crilly (She/Her)
Kathleen Crilly is a Painting and Printmaking student in her final year at Glasgow School of Art. She is a recipient of the John and Mabel Craig Scholarship. As a contemporary artist, Crilly uses traditional methods of marbling to create patterns on different surfaces: hand dying silks; digitally printed large textiles; silk gloves and photocopied images. Here she examines the handmade and the digital in different scales. Crilly considers marbling as a form of printmaking mixed with painting; she captures moving patterns into a fixed image. By printing this image onto tactile silk, she creates a sensory experience combining techniques of the handmade and the fabricated; the analogue and the digital.
Crilly explores the concept of decorative art, elevating it to portray visual information. Information based context is added to contrast with the watery nature of marbling. Her studio practice has involved mostly experimenting on how marbling can be presented. Ultimately the resulting work displays her interest in marbling and how she has elevated it from abstract patterns to contemporary art.
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Works
‘Printed Luxury’
With marbling there is only a certain amount of control.
In my practice, I found silk and satin to be the most elegant material, enticing the viewer. To demonstrate the elegance of silk, satin and marbling. My work became more theatrical in the glove pieces, with mannequin stands that enhanced the over-the-top nature.
I consider marbling as a form of printmaking that captures a moving pattern into a fixed image. I used traditional methods to create patterns on different surfaces: such as wallpaper and a photocopier to create an assembled image. By printing the glove photocopy image onto the tactile material of pure silk, I created a sensory and alluring material experience combining techniques of the handmade and the fabricated, the analogue and the digital.
In my research, I found 100-year-old books of poetry with marbling end sheets. Marbling is a printmaking method that was used as a luxury for books enhance their elegance. To reference this, I dyed books. I marbled the page ends to further display their luxury.
From hand dying silks to getting them digitally enlarged on fabric, I created a sensory experience for my designs. Ultimately the resulting work has successfully displayed my interest in marbling and how I have elevated it from abstract patterns to contemporary art.