Thursday, 24 September 2009

A synthetic future?

The first shipment of synthetic weaving materials arrived a few weeks ago during the busiest time of the show season. For some time now we have been looking at different materials that could meet the new demands for wearability, texture, good looks and weatherproof outdoor quality. Difficult! When you're used to using mainly natural materials, it is a culture shock at first to even contemplate using "man made" alternatives. However, the pressure was on from artists and creative weavers wanting to break into new territory, to push the boundaries.... and so in response to this pressure, the first batch of new generation materials arrived for assessment.



I quite like them - they're different to use insofar as they need no soaking or other  preparation and it takes time to adjust to their "feel" and texture, but there is no doubt, they have some very practical applications, they appear to be almost indestructable and yet recyclable! Imagine never having to worry about spilling blackcurrant juice or red wine on a chair seat again. And then there are all of the garden structure possibilities - yes, I think I might enjoy this experiment! For me personally they will never replace natural materials, but there are times when "man made" is more suitable, but maybe on metal or plastic frames not wooden.....

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