Waterloo Bridge, Grey Weather
Ross Belton (Textiles) & Valentina Grecchi (Jewellery)
A true collaboration, leaves on the river surface, rust in the water, floating downstream... copper chains halting the drift, ‘eucalyptus’ clasps hold and reflect the natural dyeing process.
Media: Natural dyed, eco-printed silk, crochet rusted wire and eucalyptus, hand dyed natural colour
180x40x40cm Display mannequin
Roots, Shoots & Leaves – Upstairs Gallery July / August 2017
Textile Alchemy - WAC Gallery June 2016
The Catwalk Show - Morley June 2016
Emerge, Evolve, Adorn - Morley June 2016
This is not fashion – this is a garment, constructed from natural hand dyed eco-printed silk, held and shaped to the body by jewellery, created specifically for this purpose.
Ross Belton @spottedhyenas created the eco print silk chiffon. The silk was folded and wrapped around crocheted rusted wire to form a bundle. This was then put through an accelerated rusting process, and finally submerged in a eucalyptus natural dye bath. The underskirt bundle followed the same process, without the rusting, and had eucalyptus leaves sandwiched between the folded layers of silk.
The bespoke jewellery was designed and handmade by Valentina Grecchi. Eucalyptus clasps, reference the leaves used to create the print and colour, with the copper chains forming a harness holding the different pieces of fabric together, creating the silhouette.
All photographs Jonathan Dredge
