Digitally Printed Textiles for Gillian Wearing

My collaboration with Gillian Wearing (2003-present) has been to develop new approaches for integrating digital technologies into archival recreation of period textiles/clothing from documentary photographs, resulting in digital print replication of period textiles for her photographic pieces.

Digital textile printing is now commonplace for producing sample lengths and short runs of fabric for the fashion and interiors industry and recreating archive designs. In this case however, no original artwork exists as a starting point, and I begin with historical archive textile research using materials and reference libraries to establish textile types and colourways to achieve a credible result.

These are combined with visual “clues” from documentary material supplied. For example, in one piece the original dress was made from “Courtelle”, a branded acrylic fibre popular in the 1970s, but which is still in limited production. A supplier was traced to Spain, but unfortunately the knit construction was unsuitable and so a viscose jersey was used to simulate the surface qualities and drape of the original.

The significance of this approach is in the accurate recreation, rather than sourcing approximate period textiles and clothing, to enhance the veracity of the artistic work.

Three pieces have been created to date, including the “Album” show at Maureen Paley (October 11-November 23 London 2003), and most recently, “Family History”, a Video piece commissioned by the UK Film Umbrella, exhibited at Maureen Paley, London 10 October-19 November 2006.

The work I develop remains as part of the artist's archive, and may be exhibited to accompany the photographic or video as part of the exhibit.

• http://www.regenprojects.com/exhibitions...