‘There is magic in cross-pollination – and in the people who make it happen’– Tom Kelly
Cross-pollination in design is all about creating something new through an unexpected juxtaposition of ideas and concepts seem totally unrelated as a start.
One aspect of my environment that has always been of intrigue and inspiration for me is the textures we find all around us, in our manmade and natural environment. I have forever documented these ‘found’ textures – I probably have over 15,000 plus images in my collection. I never have a definite plan as how or where I would be using them, but when the right moment strikes, they are there to serve a purpose.
But, most importantly, even if we as designers don’t ever use those images in our work, there is another layer of purpose that they have accomplished – and that is they help us to see our everyday world in new and wonderful ways, with awe and surprise. Once we learn to observe and train ourselves to do so with purpose, the most. supposed mundane and everyday surroundings, become something special and hold intrigue.
We learn to find beauty in the ordinary and see the world in unexpected ways.
As Marcel Proust famously said, ‘the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes’.
Here are just a few examples examples where I have used my textures:
When my home was being packed for a move, I found the huge rolls of the corrugated packing material and rolls of packing yarn, so much fun
I used one image for a piece of work to be auctioned at the South Asian Visual Arts Centre in Toronto – under the theme of refugees/freedom [2014]
My print on Lisbon [Etsy Shop] based off my texture images I took while there.
Detail zoom in of using my wall textures in my Burano print [Etsy shop].
Textures used in my branding work.
PORTFOLIO
Some random textures from my collection.
