MAKER OF THE WEEK - Lorraine Linton Into Knitted Textile Design

Into Knitted Textile Design

A woolly extravaganza of amusing knits, juxtaposing a vibrant palette of spots and stripes with pictorial jacquards. The addition of decorative elements grown from manipulative felting techniques help create eccentric egg cosies, woolly jewellery and irregular scarves. Scale is used to exaggerate traditional components. Scarves are skinny with large bobbles and beaded necklaces develop overstated proportions. The result is a light-hearted design evolved through the development of unusual knitting applications.

1 One favourite living artist
Andy Goldsworthy - I appreciate art that combines skill and ideas. His manipulation of nature is remarkably clever. I want to be amazed rather than confronted, particularly as a designer myself. I want to react, by asking how as well as why an artist creates what they do. I think too much art these days emphasises on shock without substance – there is an element of Emperor’s new clothes which leaves me feeling empty and bored.

2 One favourite living craft maker (and why?)
I like the work of Lotto Jansdotter . Perhaps not a craft maker, but certainly the aesthetic of her work notates the handmade with the use of her mark making. She has a sensitive use of colour and delicacy.

3 What was the last art/craft/design thing you purchased?
The last design piece I bought was an eel leather purse for my sisters birthday.


4 Last best read (book)?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon – Insightful and charming

5 What do you have on your pinboard?
Angie Lewin prints, sketches and photos of Emma Cooks maternity range for topshop, ideas from Japanese ‘Zakka’ books

6 Where and what is your studio? Do you work alone? In silence, radio?
I work from home listening to Mark Radcliffe and ‘Steve Wright in the afternoon’ amongst other radio 2 shows – it helps remove the solitary feel of the day using the ‘posy’ to create a busier atmosphere!

7 Would you rather be doing something else?
I don’t think anything could give me the satisfaction of creating something that people truly love or desire.


8 Do you think art and craft has any real importance?
Absolutely. I think it is hugely undervalued and often taken for granted. When used in emotive arguments about public funds, there always seem more important ways to spend coffers money, but to imagine a world without it would seem very bleak indeed.

9 Guilty secret?
Steve Wright in the Afternoon – nostalgic nonsense!

10 Can anything be 'art'?
‘Art’ is in the eye of the beholder. There is nothing more subjective. It can only be debated, but never really decided upon and impossible to define. Art at its least has to communicate with the viewer.

11 What do think are crimes against good taste & decency in art/craft/design?
I think we are doing an injustice by building hoards of ‘mock’ historical housing, rather than modern 21st century dwellings. Where is the legacy of recognisable naughties architecture that defines how we live today, beyond Brookside style housing estates?