Meet the Maker: in conversation with Carolyn Sara Designs
Carolyn has created a textile range in response to our collection, exploring the influence of the Middle East on British art during the 1800s. Her work is inspired by her Persian heritage which influences her love for daring colour combinations and geometric patterns. Here Carolyn has explored this further focusing on the geometric patterns reflecting the silhouette of flowers and extracting the vivid colours used in both authentic middle eastern art and in the appropriations in British Art to inform her palette.
These bold and beautiful textiles have been fuelled by her passion for using traditional knitting techniques to create contemporary fashion & interior pieces. Each piece begins as a yarn of British spun lambswool which Carolyn knits, row by row, on hand powered vintage knitting machines. All products are made from pure merino lambswool which is spun & dyed in small, independent mills in West Yorkshire & Scotland.
What inspires your work?
My Persian heritage has always influenced my work, growing up I remember a fascination with the Persian carpets we had on display at home and staring at the intricate patterns and colour combinations. I can also remember a very ornate brass Samovar, which must have looked rather out of place on the pine sideboard everyone had in the 90’s, however I think this has influenced my love for maximalism and always going bold. Ever since I can remember I’ve had an obsession with the 1920s and spent much of my childhood either trying to dress like a flapper, with lots of beads and feather boas around my neck, or decorating my bedroom into some kind of 1920’s bohemian boudoir which never quite worked out in a box room in the Mancunian suburb I grew up in! Although my interior furnishings and dress sense have since mellowed, I am still a magpie for all things art deco and find a lot of my inspiration in the architecture of the 20’s and 30’s. I love to travel to interesting places and discover different styles of architecture. For example, I recently travelled around Sicily and fell in love with the Baroque churches that seemed to be around every corner. Once I’m back in the studio I look back at my photos and translate the lines and curves in geometric patterns that I can recreate on my knitting machine.
Tell us a bit more about the inspiration for the pieces you have created for Manchester Art Gallery.
I was particularly drawn to pieces by British artists during the 1800s that were influenced by their travels across the middle east. Frederick Goodall’s ‘The water of the Nile’ depicts the vivid colours from the natural landscapes with the clear blue sky, earthy red tones and sunset bouncing off the Great pyramids of Giza. The ‘Persian Falconer Tile’ by Pilkington Tiles displays perfectly how much middle eastern art influenced British art during this time period, from the illustration style to the typical Persian colours of turquoise, manganese purple, sage green and cobalt blue. I also drew inspiration from the original pieces of middle eastern art that have influenced the artists of the 1800s particularly the ceramics made in Persia, that all feature repeat intricate patterns that reflect a love of flowers, gardens and nature.
Tell us a bit more about your practice.
I create all my pieces on hand powered knitting machines, that had their heyday in the 60s and 70s. When I first learnt to use a knitting machine at university, we had a fairly complicated relationship as they do like to have a little breakdown now and again which leads to me having a little breakdown. Over the years, I have learnt about their quirks and temperamental nature and always find so much satisfaction from starting with a simple cone of yarn, knitting it row by row and finishing with a unique piece that someone can enjoy and wear for years and years.
Describe your workspace.
I work from my home studio which can appear quite chaotic but I like to think it’s organised chaos. One element that’s almost always organised is my display of wool cones which I love to order by colour and get a little too much satisfaction from!
Who has influenced & inspired you?
From the age of 7, my Grandma and Mum taught me how to knit and I managed to make a little striped scarf for my beloved stuffed toy, 'Stripey’. I think ever since then I’ve had a compulsion to make things and always had some sort of project on the go, either on the sewing machine or knitting needles. I think my Mum’s creativity and interest in arts and culture also had a huge impact. We would spend our weekends visiting museums and art galleries, including Manchester Art Gallery, as well as day trips to interesting places all with a unique story behind them, from Ann Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon to the faded glamour of old piers, such as Llandudno. I remember my Mum, Sister and I would debrief about our favourite building, street or piece of art on the train home. This helped me develop a strong sense of style from a young age and gave me confidence in my own taste even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
What is your favourite piece or design you have made?
My Favourite would have to be the Munsell Green & Raindrop Scarf with Ruby trim, I love the contrasting colours and the subtle changing pattern as the scarf falls around the neck. The patterns seen throughout these pieces have abstracted the shape of a flower with the pattern changing part way through the snoods and scarves representing a flower opening.
Carolyn’s textiles are available to purchase in the gallery and via our online shop - create link to page