Colleen McCarten at Grad Ex 2013. Photo by Christina Gapic.
Part of Colleen McCarten's project, Fabricate. Image by Colleen McCarten.

Colleen McCarten’s medal award-winning project, Fabricate, is a multimedia textile investigation. Here’s how she describes it:

Fabricate is a body of work that investigates the intersection of textiles and assumed value. Across a variety of mediums, this project employs a recurring technique of line and repetition to signify the basic components of textile construction. Through these decontextualized representations of textiles, this exploration asks: “does changing the material, scale, or technique alter the value of the piece?” If so, is it a sexist devaluation of a medium, or merely about the ability to understand the time and effort put into another process? 

What inspired you and motivated you to do this project?

Textiles have always been a large part of my life — from working in a fabric store throughout high school, studying fashion design at college, and then finishing my undergrad in Material Art and Design at OCAD U. I have always found it interesting how important textiles are in our daily lives, yet they are so often unnoticed or under appreciated.

What part of the process of creating this project did you learn the most from?

Material exploration is usually a recurring theme in all of my work, and is typically the part of creating that I learn the most from.

What part of the process of creating this project are you the most proud of?

I was proud of my ability to have enough obsessive compulsive tendencies to be able to finish the Drawing/Weaving piece. Repetition is a large theme in my body of work and I am glad to have had the patience to follow through with the repetitive actions involved in creating each piece.

How did you react to the news that you won a medal for your work?

I received the phone call while I was walking in the rain, and I felt really honoured! There were a lot of strong artists in the graduating class this year and I was happy to be among them.

What’s your fondest memory from your studies at OCAD U, and what will you miss the most?

The 16 hour days in the studio with fellow class mates always lead to the goofy/loopy/sleep deprived nights filled with new creative energy and random spouts of laughter. I will miss those nights along with having access to all of the different studios that OCAD U offers.

What are you planning to do next?

I am currently working at the Design Exchange for the summer, and I will be showing some work at the Guild Shop in the fall as well as participating in Hard Twist at the Gladstone in January. 

Find out more about Colleen McCarten:

Portfolio

LinkedIn Profile