Chromaticity
It is always a privilege to see an artist at work. Watching their artwork evolve from initial ideas to the finished piece can be as fascinating as the end result - especially when the creating process is dynamic and involves hundreds of choices at every stage. Unfortunately, most of the time it is only the finished result that is put on display, while the hours of hard work that went into the final piece go unacknowledged.
Ptolemy Mann's film Chromaticity reveals in breathtaking detail the working processes of the artist's weaving. Shown at the Crafts Council Film Festival earlier this month and produced by THIRD, the film is a work of art in its own right. The close-up focus on the hues and textures of the threads almost makes the viewer feel part of the process and highlights the tactile relationship between artist and cloth. The film takes the viewer on a journey - from plain, undyed cotton thread, to the application of colour, to the rhythmic movements of the weaving itself. With its stunning photography and a musical soundtrack, Chromaticity makes fascinating viewing for anybody with a love for cloth. Watch the film here.
Since 1997 Ptolemy Mann has been running her own textile art and design studio which she established after graduation from Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. Her distinctive approach to hand-dyeing and weaving wall-based, architectural artworks has become the basis for a modern-day Bauhaus philosophy of product and art-making underpinned with intelligent colour theory. This approach brings her work together across a wide range of applications, both commercial and creative. She is also a regular contributor to Selvedge Magazine.
Blog post by Jessica Edney.
To read more stories like this, subscribe to Selvedge here. Use the offer code BLOG for 10% off any fixed-term subscription (does not apply to recurring subscriptions).