The Yellow Wallpaper (2018.3)

The introduction to the world of fashion and collaborative expression came at a point in my career when I was looking to engage with a wider design language outside of an isolating practice. I had the desire to extend my work beyond the flat surface of print and framed works and was already working with the language of cloth and pattern in relation to Japanese eroticism and hyper-emotive illustrations of cloth and fabric in the Bible.

The main source of inspiration for the series of works that inspired Marios to work with me on AW 08 collection was The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In addition the main visual reference has been William Morris and his company’s designs for wallpaper and ethos that fitted the era the novella was written in.

As an artist I have always collected fine art and limited edition books and the art of bookbinding has always been close to my heart. Books give the time and space to order thoughts and create a narrative which enables a reflection on the past and inspiration for the future. They allow for a sculptural language to enter the two-dimensional plane; bringing about another realm of decision making and playful restrictions. Lastly, they are a private thinking space made public, an unlocked diary of sorts.

Tom Gallant, 12 March 2018