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Collaboration Artwork - Hand Tufted Wool Rug…

Hand Tufted Wool Rug - Entitled: Oi!

I recently teamed up with Andrew Warburton of Area Rugs www.arearugs.co.uk and we decided to work on a collaborative project. Andrew is a highly skilled and experienced carpet maker using hand-tufting methods in the production of his carpets and rugs. He has been designing and making unique and exclusive hand-tufted rugs and carpets since graduating in 1988 with a first class honours degree in carpet design.

He was intrigued by the style and technique of my illustrations and thought that they would transfer well onto into a carpet design. We decided upon an image to use that was both quirky and impacting and Andrew set to on interpreting the image with pure wool. The results are below.

Original Illustration

Emelbi and Design before Tufting.

The image is first sketched out onto clear vinyl so that any

minor correction can be made before work gets under way.

The image on the vinyl is then reversed and slipped behind a type
of man-made muslin cloth. It is then marked directly onto the cloth.

Once the image has been marked out onto the cloth the tufting can begin.
Wool is stitched/tufted into the Muslin cloth.

When the tufting process is finished the

topside is then cropped to get an even pile.
This is done with a machine that works a little like a lawnmower.

Rugs can also be carved and sculptured by using a carving
machine somewhat like the clippers used to sheer sheep.

When the rug has gone through all these processes
it is then backed with a natural latex and hessian.
This completes the whole process.

Finished rug entitled - Oi!
Size: 1.7 by 1.2 Metres.

The rug ‘Oi!’ is currently on show in

the Laurence Batley Theatre (Foyer),
Huddersfield, and will be displayed
there until Sunday 21st June 2009.

Then it will be part of the ‘Loca Showcase Exhibition’
at Batley Art Gallery from
Saturday 18th July to Saturday 8th August 2009.

Tooth Army...

Digital Scribble...

Subway Art 25th Anniversary Edition...

I did say I would get it!

A beautiful book.
Hard back and twice the size of the original.
Stunning!

Subway Art...

I bought this book when it was first published in the UK back in 1984.
I was heavily into the breakdance scene and used to carry a huge ghetto blaster around with me just about everywhere I’d go, pumping out electro boogie, hip hop and breakbeats at full volume. It was an exhilarating time with new and exciting music coming from across the pond born out of the Bronx in New York City. My friends and I would often be found body popping and breakdancing on a tatty bit of lino in the inner city, towns, streets and parks of Nottingham.

Graffiti was also becoming popular. This fresh form of art seemed to be inextricably linked with the hip-hop scene.
As a young boy graffiti had a huge impact on me with its fantastic and intricate typographic scrawls, bold characters and dazzling colours.
It wasn’t too long before I was filling sketch book after sketch book with my own designs and throwing up pieces in and around my neighbourhood.

Subway Art was a revelation. It was the first book of its kind to bring graffiti to the attention of the world. Apparently it was also the most stolen book at the time, going missing from shops and libraries everywhere.
In fact, I remember the day I went to purchase my copy. I searched all over the store but couldn’t find it anywhere. When I enquired about the book the shop assistant said, “Ah yes, we have them in the stock room. I will go an fetch a copy for you.” When he returned with it he explained that they couldn’t keep them on display anymore because too many were being stolen!

For people like myself who were into the scene Subway Art was the bible.
It got me drawing and designing and I will go as far as to say that it was this book that focussed my attention on art and design in general.

So, hats off to Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant for bringing us this beautiful and special publication. I have you both to thank, in part, for the career I chose to follow and the love I developed for Art and Design.

This year, a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the book has gone on sale.
I for one will be purchasing a copy!

Emelbi.