The idea for this work has been germinating for years and finally circumstances have allowed me to pursue this dream, but I need your help. I am asking for funding of $4500.00 and here is a bit about how the designs get produced and where the money will go.
ThinkBody is a collaborative effort that involves an extremely talented bunch of people found in the States (me), France (Imelda Picherit, colorist), and Ireland (Orlagh O’Brien,graphic designer). My forte is not working in the computer, so I take my sketches and ideas to my collaborators and together we turn them into computer generated designs ready for wallpaper and textiles. This process allows me to focus on what I am best at, dreaming up new patterns and concepts for new patterns, and tending to the production and business matters at hand.
From there we move into the printing production which involves ordering test runs of both wallpaper and textiles, tweaking the scale of the patterns and the color as we go. And then we are off! and it’s time to print rolls of wallpaper and make pillows or towels (and whatever else I can dream up), or print fabric for upholstery.
At this point, there is much infrastructure that I am working on that supports not only the gallery show, but the launch of ThinkBody as a small business. This includes postcard design and printing, copyrighting the patterns, getting a website together, packaging, production how-to’s moving forward, and pr and some computer equipment. For the June Danforth show I am producing pillows and two or three rolls of wallpaper - and maybe, just maybe, upholstering a chair. I am currently investigating working with local Montanan screen printers to produce wallpaper as well as seamstresses and leather workers to produce the pillows. I will be posting pictures of the samples as they come in along with other updates on the update portion of the campaign, so please be sure to check back regularly on my progress.
After the campaign is successfully funded, all contributors will be listed on the ThinkBody website once it has launched and you will forever have my gratitude. Other perks include limited edition prints, pillows that are made by seamstresses in Montana and custom design work. Whether in print or textile form, these patterns are functional art pieces that encourage a reconnection to the body and the spaces we inhabit; though the world of the screen can be vast, deep and engaging, let’s not forget our senses, the tactile, and the charms of the human environment that surround us.
Lastly, dollars aren't the only way to contribute - spreading the word is just as valuable. Please share the campaign and help get the word out!
