New book: Women making History: Processions : The Banners

 Socially oriented art. Art with purpose that isn’t an straight forward aesthetic purpose.

These banners were made for a procession to mark 100 years of women receiving the vote. I thought this book would be useful to see the different approaches people take to one set of instructions. You can never assume how this will be tackled. And why some banners work better for me than others. This can then be used to consider how I use colour and composition, and even to produce a set of prescribed instructions when making an artwork. I have a tendency towards this, as my materials are often found etc which creates a limitation but perhaps releasing a greater freedom.

Why - clear design, bold, multilayered but simple. Something to look harder at.

Again very bold and clear, images of hands, our hands show our individuality but also represent (by holding hands) solidarity.

Great use of typography and hidden meanings. Abstraction, but this abstraction is representing the bars women were behind, literally in regards to the suffragettes but also in terms of their ability to make change.

This work is a combination of traditional (and nice and roughly sewn) quilting and a digital print. This shows how you can successfully blend the two.

Vivienne Westwood, this is very much her visual language. Rough stitching but with carefully chosen type. And addition of loose painting. The image works because she has used this composition across many of her recent t-shirt campaigns, she knows it works.

Sadie Williams, a great young clothing designer who uses metallic threads and digitised shapes. Flag like and utilises the badges of the girl guides to great effect.