Flights of Fancy and Rachel Kelly

As part of this current module I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. I have never seen as many samples of wallpaper in my life. It was so interesting to hear the history behind certain samples and how styles have evolved right up until the present day. The flights of fancy exhibition, which we were given a tour around, has definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities and ways of designing wall coverings. It showcases decorative wallpaper from the period of the 1920's and 30's. Although the very figurative prints of very colourful flowers that dominate this collection are a bit too feminine for my own taste there were some stunning paintings. The idea of having borders running either along the bottom or top of a wall with occasional bursts of flowers blooming from the foot of the wall really appeals to me, and has got my mind thinking about the ways in which slightly different designs on the same theme can be combined to each persons own taste.

Rachel Kelly is a designer working at the moment who has created her own idea called ‘Interactive wallpaper.’ She offers the client the chance to essentially decide where they would like each of her designs placing on a wall which offers individuality for the customer and means her products may appeal to a wider audience. I love this idea and is an scheme I may wish to apply in my own work for this project through having a collection of designs that work both on their own or combined with the others. Here are some examples of her work: