Craft Focus - Dec/Jan (Issue 76)

THIS YEAR’S CREATIVEWORLD TRENDS “For the 2020/21 trends, we’l l be highlighting the developmental pr ocess,” says Claudia Herke from Stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano. “There are no barriers to f inding new ideas when working extensively with different materials and techniques. We’re cal ling for people to push the boundaries and accept failed attempts in order to come up with new appr oaches. Mixed media art is the key to creativity here. There’s not just one technique for a particular pr oduct : different results come with experimental trial and err or.” WORK-OUT There will be a focus on making things by hand and on rough work with raw materials like concrete, plaster and cement. Strong surface effects with irregular, original and imperfect textures can be achieved, with materials including building rubble, granite and pebbles. Delicate natural products like seaweed, willow and rattan can be plaited, knotted and woven, or used for home accessories such as cushions, table runners, mats and curtains. RE-FORM Keywords like multicolour, collagen, action painting, batik, dip-dyeing and patchwork sum up this trend. Intensive colours and combinations of materials and techniques are key. Patterned designs are overprinted, t-shirts, rucksacks and trainers are decorated with paint sticks and scrap wool is woven or knitted. Remnants and leftover paint can be put to good use, while paper strips, cut-up plastic bags and fabric offcuts can be interwoven to make a wall-hanging or cushion cover. UPDATE Aimed at the younger generation, this trend incorporates the free application of scribbled, cut-out, hand-painted or sprayed writing. The emphasis is on creativity, including graffiti, intarsia knitting, appliqué and paper creations, resulting in a personal touch that makes rucksacks, pencil cases, hoodies and laptop cases into something special. Mixed media art has also come into its own, with materials such as markers, paint brushes, foil transfers and casting resin used for every kind of technique. 86