| Recent changes in the interrelated disciplines of craft and graphic design have led to an espousal of interdisciplinary approaches. As such, this design thesis explores the possibility of a post-disciplinary practice that situates itself between the boundaries of graphic design and craft practice. This thesis begins with an investigation into relationships between craft and graphic design, through a weaving of cultural theory and personal material explorations. Art, craft and design are approached from the academic position of cultural studies, revealing how meanings in visual culture are created, constructed and upheld. Following that, the focus turns to textiles, analyzing the genre for both its implications on the larger disciplines of craft and graphic design. Finally, the essay examines the implications, possibilities and necessity of a crafts-based design practice. Through harnessing textiles as a way of making and thinking, craft-based design comes to be understood as dialogical practice that questions the ideological boundaries of genre. |
