Lucy Foskett
Malcolm Mosley
Word count: 578
For one of my workshops this term, I choose to do 2d Surface Design. One of my projects during the three week rotation was to create our own up to date tableau I was really inspired by Timorous beasties whilst doing this project.
A toile de jouy is a type of decorating pattern consisting of a usually white or off white background on which a repeated pattern depicting a complex scene generally of an idyllic pastoral theme. The pattern portion consists of a single colour, most often black, dark red, or blue. Toile is most associated with fabrics (curtains and upholstery in particular) though toile wallpaper is also popular.
Timorous beasties is noted for its surreal and provocative textiles, one of its creations is the Glasgow toile, at first it looks like a vista on early 1800s wallpaper, but when you get closer to it, it shows a story almost of Glasgow during the night, where crack addicts, prostitutes and homeless are against the tower blocks and scavenging seagulls. I think my work is very similar to Timorous Beasties toile de jouy the only difference being is that mine is not portraying drugs, sex and prostitutes yet mine is showing my life and the things I enjoy doing. I find when you look at mine from a distance as just a piece of design work you don’t look at it as someone’s life and what is happening within, until you come closer and inspect it, then it is when you begin to see that it about a lot more.
Beasties work is printed textiles, doing printed textiles still allows you to be able to draw/paint freely and lets you be quite loose and able to create what you want. Timorous beasties have huge facilities which allow them to make made to measure fabrics, wallpapers, windows, grave stones and ceramics. A current design they have been asked to make is made using flock which is difficult because you can’t use much detail.
What I like about them is that there creating toile de jouys from today’s era and not trying to recreate Elizabethan ones like a lot of people try and do. A famous toile de Jouy is called the peacock amongst the ruins this had huge influence on the Glasgow toile and they very much look the same apart from depicting different times and places. Lots of different things influence Beasties works not just other toiles. Iron work, shapes, compositions and images all influence them and this is were I feel I can relate to timorous beasties because I feel a lot of my work is influenced through shape, pattern colour and natural objects and I enjoy combining these things together to make a piece of art work.
I began making my Tableau by drawing out silhouettes of all the things I enjoy doing or do in my life, such as walking my dogs, living on a farm, going out partying, driving to college, and me and my boyfriend. I then got some silhouettes of trees and flowers and added them to my drawing. After completing the drawing I took it to be scanned onto the computer. I manipulated bits, added colour and made things stand out, I went through lots of different outcomes but this one was the best. I’m really pleased with this piece of work that I have created and Timorous beasties has influenced me in a lot of other work since making my tableau.
