We are all inspired by something, that spark that ignites the thought process that then leads on to amazing things. Below is the inspiration behind each of our current ranges. As a general rule our designs are based on Fine Art Prints from the archives of The Caversham Press or based on those wonderful traditional print techniques.
The William Kentridge Triptych
You may have read, or know, about our origins and our connection with The Caversham Press. It was thanks to this connection that we were fortunate enough to be able to produce a collection of designs based on work by William Kentridge. Malcolm had been to see William at his studio in Johannesburg and commented on the long lengths of images that were hanging in the space. They commented on how well those images would work onto fabric… those images were hand painted musical notes for an opera and have been transformed into the three designs that comprise The William Kentridge Triptych.
Jewel Box
Jewel Box is our new range launched in June 2016 and brings together three factors that we have been wanting to add to our repertoire for the past year. This has resulted in range of geometrics, with a tropical floral thrown in, that work in harmony with all our previous ranges.
We have been keen to add some versatile geometric prints to our books so when Malcolm pulled out on edition of beautiful linocuts by Jeff Rankin to show students one morning, I knew I had found my inspiration. It is always such a wonderful process working with sections of an image and transforming them into an entirely different form whilst still maintaining that original impact.
We needed a selection of clear vibrant colours added to our palette and you certainly can’t get any better than those glorious tones of the gem stone.
African Vibrations
African Vibrations is a range based on hand cut Lino-cut prints by Vusi Zwane and Gabisile Nkosi. Whilst the general perception of a Lino-Cut, very similar to a Wood Cut, are images that are basic, bold with a slight naivety to them, this is not always the case. These two amazing artists have achieved the most incredible amount of fine detail in their prints, prints that have a constant feeling of movement. The elements that we have based our designs on have created contemporary design with a unique African feel. This range certainly epitomises the beautiful simplicity of african imagery.
Call of the Wild
The wild Africa of the 1800’s was vastly different from the continent we know today. One can only begin to imagine what the beautiful South African Fauna and Flora must have looked like to a settler from the North. These images have been documented in engravings, done on Copper Plates, and serve as an interpretation of the sites of that era. Call of the Wild comprises a selection of designs reminiscent of old copper plate etchings of early settlers view of a wild and abundant Africa.
Garden Scent
Printing is something to be hands-on with, and to experiment and simply have fun! We are situatuated in a garden abundant with exquisite flowers and plants just begging to be transferred onto fabrics and whilst this can be done by photographing it just isn’t the same! The only way to stay true to the plant is to use it directly. So one morning we went on a flower picking spree but not for the vase, these plants were put through the etching press to create the most incredible mono-prints that we then used in our designs. This, our Mono-Print Range is a graphic botanical range with a strong contemporary feel.
Morning Dew
Whenever I think of this title I always think of a blade of grass with a drop of water delicately balanced on the point. The start of a fresh new day, very much like the start of Caversham Textiles and we couldn’t do what we are doing without the Artists that create the initial works. This is why Morning Dew is our very first Artists Range, a selection of designs that have been based on images created for the sole purpose of printing them onto fabric! The artists featured in this range all have strong ties to The Caversham Press and were an integral part of Sally’s years growing up surrounded by a myriad of creative people. Each artists was selected for a specific reason and we so enjoyed working with them to create this stunning range.