DAB Lab is the unique research support facility at the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.

DAB Lab provides managerial assistance for academic staff and postgraduate student case studies and research projects. It also provides a public showcase for the leading research that is coming out of the Faculty.

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Upcoming exhibition

(Re)skin: contemporary knitting by Alana Clifton-Cunningham

9 July - 21 August 2009, Fashion and Textile Design

Knitting is both fashion and art in the upcoming exhibition (re)skin: contemporary knitting.

UTS Fashion & Textiles lecturer Alana Clifton-Cunningham deconstructs familiar woollen garment structures to create body pieces that act as a second skin, wrapping, cocooning and at times, even distorting the body.

"The work exhibited aims to question the relationship of knitting to the human body," says Clifton-Cunningham.

"I was inspired by the notions of body adornment and patterning in the form of traditional body scarification - as a rite of passage, tribal identification, spiritual protection, or aesthetic beautification - to inform the design outcomes.

"I wished to explore the non-verbal messages and layers of meaning embedded within scarification and also knitting.

"Both work with a visual language indicating identity, status and belonging that is communicated through patterning," she says.

Hard and soft, rough and smooth, mass and gradation are all juxtaposed in (re)skin: contemporary knitting where laser cut Tasmanian oak veneer, leather, and semi precious stones are paired with traditional and contemporary knitting machine and hand knitting techniques.

"The use of wool came about through initially wanting to support the Australian wool industry.

"However, wool also has a 'cosiness' about it and is a fibre that most people can relate to.

"Due to the nature of how it knits, it is perfect to distort, through adding additional materials such as the timber," says Clifton Cunningham.

(re)skin: contemporary knitting will be exhibited during Sydney Design week.

Alana Clifton-Cunningham will speak on her work at the DAB LAB Research Gallery at 2pm on 4 August, following a presentation by Fashion & Textiles lecturer Alison Gwilt on the exhibition Fashioning Now at the UTS Gallery at 1pm.

 

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Contacts

DAB Lab is managed by Aanya Roennfeldt and is located in the courtyard of the DAB building.

DAB Lab Contact details
DAB LAB research gallery
p: +61 2 9514 8016
e: Aanya.Roennfeldt@uts.edu.au