Departure – new explorations in print

Featuring work by Action Time Vision, Linda Florence, Christopher Pearson, Simon Elvins and Rhian Solomon

Meet the Designers Event
September 2006

An appreciative crowd of over 150 people gathered to hear all five designers talk about their work – learning how it was made, the technology they’d used and how they had arrived at their final designs. The event gave exhibition visitors a unique insight into the creative process of five very different practitioners.

We’d particularly like to thank ballroom dancers Angela and Roy for their performance over Linda Florence’s sugar floor, specially extended into the courtyard for the evening [see Linda Florence's Departure page for short Quicktime clip]

Action Time Vision Linda Florence Christopher Pearson Simon Elvins Rhian Solomon

As part of the London Design Festival 06 London Printworks Trust in association with Selvedge Magazine presents five of the UK’s most exciting new designers – Action Time Vision, Linda Florence, Christopher Pearson, Simon Elvins and Rhian Solomon in their first exhibition together.  

Departure has been selected by Icon magazine for its Icon Design Trail, featuring the best 100 exhibitions from this year’s festival. http://www.icon-magazine.co.uk.

Departure is a highly interactive experience exploring new relationships between people, print and material.  It aims to challenge your preconceptions about printed textiles. During the exhibition you can take part in Action Time Vision’s imaginary royal dinner party; dance on Linda Florence’s icing sugar patterned floor; tune into Simon Elvin’s map of official and not-so-official radio stations in the area; watch Christopher Pearson’s traditional wallpapers come to life and decide, alongside Rhian Solomon, if you really are a size 10. 

The London Design Festival was established in 2003 to ‘celebrate and promote London as the creative capital of the world, and as the gateway to the UK’s world-class creative community’. Now in its forth year, the Festival has grown quickly - in 2005 the two-week programme was made up 170 events and exhibitions staged by 150 ‘partner’ organisations across the city.  The Festival interprets design broadly, championing over 20 different design disciplines, and acts as the annual umbrella event for the whole sector. The Festival is now one of biggest of its kind in the world and is a fixture on the international calendar. www.londondesignfestival.com.

Selvedge Magazine is one of the world's finest textile magazines, featuring stunning photography, unparalleled design and peerless writing.  Selvedge’s philosophical approach is based on a cerebral and sensual addiction to textiles in all forms. Readers share a belief in the importance of their material surroundings and a passion for the beautiful and beautifully made.   Their aim is simple: to provide a textile publication which fits seamlessly into a creative lifestyle. Directed towards an international, discerning audience, Selvedge covers fine textiles in every context - fine art, interiors, fashion, travel and shopping. www.selvedge.org.

Departure is part of London Printworks Trust’s Homespun programme, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Homespun's central aim is to enable emerging artists and designers to make and exhibit new bodies of work by offering the opportunity to experiment with the printed textile process.  Also, Departure has been kindly supported by Arts Council England and Lambeth Arts.