MUSICAL FABRIC
Guest blog post by Anna Marks
Created by textile artist Nadia-Anne Ricketts, BeatWoven is a new textile label that creates decorative fabrics, furniture, and textiles using coded audio technology. By way of a complex software system connected to a traditional weaving machine, BeatWoven weaves elaborate geometric patterns into fabric when music is played. During a song, the BeatWoven software responds to the music and designs certain pattern formations accordingly. With BeatWoven’s creation, Ricketts fuses tradition with the contemporary, constructing beautiful designs that not only have an attractive aesthetic but a compelling methodology and story.
When a tune is played, the BeatWoven software responds to the melody and the music is "woven" into the material. Ricketts compares her weaving construction to a musical instrument. “My idea came whilst I was studying textiles at Central Saint Martins,” Ricketts tells Selvedge. “I felt like my loom was similar to playing the piano due to the mathematics involved - it's like reading a notation which tells me which keys I need to press to lift threads. After my career as a dancer, I saw a connection quite quickly with the counting and the rhythms involved in textiles. Because of this, I found myself in weaving and setting the loom up.”
With an increasing involvement in collaborative art projects, BeatWoven’s eccentric constructions are still being developed. “I am excited to be working on a lot of art projects currently with BeatWoven. People have come to me asking for their favourite song to be turned into woven framed art pieces to put in their homes,” Ricketts explains. “I see BeatWoven growing in this area, and working in collaboration with music artists and record labels to produce one-off collections for fashion or interiors. The scope of how this can be used is very big, so I can see BeatWoven developing as a studio that offers a variety of products. I would like to get my own digital loom so I can make the art pieces in-house and have more control over yarns, structures, and can experiment more too.”
To view more about BeatWoven, go to www.beatwoven.co.uk.
When a tune is played, the BeatWoven software responds to the melody and the music is "woven" into the material. Ricketts compares her weaving construction to a musical instrument. “My idea came whilst I was studying textiles at Central Saint Martins,” Ricketts tells Selvedge. “I felt like my loom was similar to playing the piano due to the mathematics involved - it's like reading a notation which tells me which keys I need to press to lift threads. After my career as a dancer, I saw a connection quite quickly with the counting and the rhythms involved in textiles. Because of this, I found myself in weaving and setting the loom up.”
With an increasing involvement in collaborative art projects, BeatWoven’s eccentric constructions are still being developed. “I am excited to be working on a lot of art projects currently with BeatWoven. People have come to me asking for their favourite song to be turned into woven framed art pieces to put in their homes,” Ricketts explains. “I see BeatWoven growing in this area, and working in collaboration with music artists and record labels to produce one-off collections for fashion or interiors. The scope of how this can be used is very big, so I can see BeatWoven developing as a studio that offers a variety of products. I would like to get my own digital loom so I can make the art pieces in-house and have more control over yarns, structures, and can experiment more too.”
To view more about BeatWoven, go to www.beatwoven.co.uk.
1 comment
Such a clever idea with stunning results. Nadia orchestrates beautifully! She made the wedding gift for our son and his wife a very special experience.