5Tracey Prehay
Project – ConTextile | a project by Tracey Prehay
ConTEXTILE combines architecture, textile, mosaic geometric tile patterns and salvaged
material, to form a holistic environment that relate to the social history and cultural heritage of
the region. The work will focus on using ideas of fashion and Architecture as a tool for public
statement. “By removing the body from clothing and detaching it from the person, clothing is
immediately transformed into cloth, a new resource to be utilized.” The project consist of two
elements, a several workshops at a local School and a final presentation of the artist work.
The Dress
The dress is linked together by tear away snaps that are used on athletic pants. When
linked together the dress forms a circle architectural structure, with a small opening. The base
print on the material forms a loose narrative that is linked together by salvaged objects that are
found in second hand shop in and around Enschede. The tile pattern is used as a meeting point
for the work to connect, the dresses.
The Workshop
The students are asked to collect items that best represent themselves, their values and their
goals. Over the span of a two weeks they will create an archive of material (from photographs of
family and friends, text from diaries, images from magazines to jewellery and items from their
wallets), that will be transform into basic graphic forms, that will then be used to make screen
prints on fabric. The textile created by the students will be used as the foundation to create
wearable architectural forms, that combine the social history and cultural heritage of the
region.
The workshop is an opportunity for Tracey to engage with young people in the area and for the students to be introduced to the Architectuur Centrum Twente projects and different ways of looking at architectural practices. The students' work will be exhibited at a location in the Roombeek area.
