Zig zag design 9.jpg

This project is part of Ceres Artists in Residence at The Museum of Domestic Design &amp; Architecture (MoDA). The aim of the residency was to use objects from MoDA's collection as a starting point for exploration of natural prints and dyes with the aim of raising the awareness of sustainability in design research.<br><br>Design inspired by 'A46 Zig zag design' by Enid Marx for R.D.I London Transport, 1945.<br>I started this design by carving it into a linoleum plate, then transferred it as a repeat pattern onto a film for screen printing, keeping the original mark makings from the linoleum.<br><br>This design was screen printed on hemp silk dyed in buddleia.The colours were produced using plant extracts including indigo and chlorophyll for the main background layer and madder for the zig zag pattern. Weld and chlorophyll for the rectangles and madder and buckhorn for the squares.<br><br>The photo show the final printed repeat pattern design as well as the different printing stages before that. In the final stage, after steaming and washing, the colours revealed brighter.<br>