GMU:Principia Textilica

17th Century Tessel from the Archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Werkmodul/Fachmodul
Lecturer: Martin Schneider
Associate: Katrin Steiger
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Tuesday 15:15 - 18:30 Uhr
Venue: Bauhaus Strasse 15, Room 102
First meeting: 21. Oct. 2014

Description

In this course we identify the fundamental building blocks of textile structures, processes and tools.
The course aims to enable the participants to create their own textile technologies, i.e. notation systems, algorithms, software, tools and machines for the emerging field of computational craft where the interplay of craftsmanship and automation are being renegotiated.
The main focus is on the textile techniques of weaving, knitting, braiding and embroidery, but we will also have a look at various meshing and knotting techniques and explore their boundaries.

The study of textile technology, both historic and contemporary, including the Jacquard loom and the electronic knitting machine, is a fundamental part of this course. In addition we will have a look at popular craft toys such as the “rainbow loom” and their potential to transform the culture of craft.

Over time we will get to know and love notation systems and exchange formats for various textile techniques. Processing and Mathematica will be the tools of choice to systematically explore and classify textile patterns. We will create those patterns using formal systems, such as rewriting grammars and Cellular Automata.
During the course we will touch on topics such as Generative Craft, Cybernetic Crafting, Textile Displays, Code Crafting, and various other themes related to Computational Craft and Textile Media Art.

Beschreibung

In diesem Kurs identifizieren wir die Grundbausteine von textilen Strukturen, Prozessen und Werkzeugen.
Am Ende des Kurses sollen die Teilnehmer in der Lage sein. selbst textile Technologien zu entwickeln; also Notationssysteme, Algorithmen, Programme, Werkzeuge und Maschinen für ein Computerkunsthandwerk, in dem das Zusammenspiel von Handarbeit und Automatisierung neu verhandelt wird.
Im Mittelpunkt stehen die textilen Techniken Weben, Stricken, Sticken und Flechten. Wir werden jedoch auch verschiedene Maschen- und Knüpf-Techniken kennenlernen und deren Grenzen erforschen.

Ein grundlegender Bestandteil des Kurses ist die Auseinandersetzung mit textilen Technologien der Vergangenheit und der Gegenwart, insbesondere Webstühle und Strickmaschinen. Ergänzend werfen wir einen Blick auf populäre Spielwerkzeuge wie den “Rainbow Loom” und ihr Potential die Kultur der Handarbeit zu transformieren.

Im Laufe des Kurses lernen wir verschiedene textile Notationssysteme und Austauschformate kennen und lieben. Zu unserem Handwerkszeug gehören Processing und Mathematica mit denen wir systematisch textile Muster erforschen und klassifizieren. Diese Muster erzeugen wir mit Hilfe von formalen Systemen wie Ersetzungs-Grammatiken und Zellulären Automaten.
Im Rahmen des Kurses werden wir auch mit Themen wie Generativer und Kybernetischer Handarbeit, Textilen Displays und Textiler Codierung, sowie vielen anderen Themen im Umfeld des Computerkunsthandwerks und der textilen Medienkunst in Berührung kommen.

Language

The course will be in English, unless all participants are speaking German.

Eligible Participants

Undergraduates and graduates enrolled in the faculties of:

• Media Art + Design
• Computer Science + Media
• Media Architecture
• Product Design
• Architecture

Requirements

• Practical experience with at least one textile technology
• Basics of Programming (Processing)
• Basics of Generative Design
• Basics of Mathematics

Application

To: Martin Schneider
Subject: Principia Textilica /// Application
Content:

• Name, Surname
• Program and semester (Studienprogramm und Fachsemester)
• Matriculation number (Matrikelnummer)

Please answer the following questions with one to three sentences each.

• In which textile technique do you already have hands-on experience?
• How good are your programming skills, and which courses have you taken?
• Please provide links to previous work in Generative Design
• What's your favorite branch in Mathematics (Geometry/Algebra/Analysis ...)
• What do you expect to learn from the course?

Schedule

This is the outline of the course.
The details may still be subject to change.

Theme	Topic	Date	Format
Part 1: Programming	01: Programming I	21. Oct. 2014	Lecture
	02: Programming II	28. Oct. 2014	Lecture
Part 2: Craft and Code	03: Notation Systems	04. Nov. 2014	Lecture
	04: Exchange Formats	11. Nov. 2014	Lecture
	05: Notations I	18. Nov. 2014	Workshop
	06: Notations II	26. Nov. 2014	Workshop
Part 3: Craft Computing	07: Mathematical Craft	02. Dec. 2014	Lecture
	08: Computational Craft	09. Dec. 2014	Lecture
	09: Textile Automata I	16. Dec. 2014	Workshop
	10: Textile Automata II	06. Jan. 2015	Workshop
Part 4: Tools and Machines	11: Embroidery Machine	13. Jan. 2014	Lecture
	12: Knitting Machine	20. Jan. 2014	Lecture
	13: Tools for Craft I	27. Jan. 2014	Workshop
	14: Tools for Craft II	03. Feb. 2014	Workshop

Evaluation

• Active participation
• Artistic exploration of the topic through development of technologies for computational craft
  (notation, software, tool or machine)
• Documentation and demonstration

Participants

Finished Projects

• Felicitas Höbelt
• Eeva Ahlamo

Work in Progress

• Meryem Kubra Uluc
• Iremnur Tokac
• Bahar Akgun
• Lisa Germain
• Aline Martinez

Literature

This is the list of recommended books.

Programming

• Ben Fry, Casey Reas: Processing ISBN 978-0262182621
• Stephen Wolfram: The Mathematica Book ISBN 978-1579550226

Computational Craft

• Noémi Speiser: The Braiding Manual (self-published)
• Debbie New: Unexpected Knitting ISBN 978-0942018226
• Ralph E. Griswold: Mathematical and Computational Topics in Weaving (PDF)

Links

• Code repository for our Principia Textilica Course (github)
• SmartGit - Portable Git-GUI, incl. Git client, free for non-commercial use, approx. 4GB

How-tos

• Git How-to
• Mailinglist How-to