Rachel Whitehead
+44 (0) 7894 884 778
Rachel Whitehead is a recent graduate of The Manchester School of Art. Achieving a First Class Honours Degree in Three Dimensional Design Rachel is now launching her first jewellery collection. Inspired by the structure of plants and flowers. She employs computer technologies to design and manufacture a wearable range of solid silver and laser cut Perspex pieces.
At the start of my final year at university I set myself a challenge, I wanted to push myself to produce work in a different way.
My work started in the way I have naturally previously worked, with the exploration into the creation of form through repetition of a single element. Due to the complexity of my designs I could see that it would not be feasible to make them by hand. This led me to explore the use of CAD and CAM within my practice.
I immersed myself in this new digital world and found it to be fantastically frustrating, highly demanding but, most of all, hugely rewarding. I am eager to further explore the possibility of CAD and CAM within my work whilst also building on my jewellery making technical ability.
I am most interested in plant forms that are made from many repeated parts. I seek to replicate this quality when creating patterns for applying to my work. Layering of pattern and the creation of shadows are of great interest to me. I strive to create work that the wearer can interact with, lockets, changeable cords, magnets and slots allow for playful contact with my pieces.
The process of rapid prototyping requires a file to be created using computer aided design software, this file is then read and transformed into successive minutely thin layers which are layered on top of one another to create an almost identical three dimensional physical object. Different rapid prototyping machines can print in many different plastics, metals and ceramics. To create the silver pieces in my collection the designs were printed in wax and then traditionally lost wax cast.
I endeavour to create a sophisticated dialogue between hand and machine to create beautiful, wearable and desirable jewellery.
The inspiration for my current body of work is the result of an exploration into the construction of form through repetition of a single element. Due to the complexity of my designs I could see that it would not be feasible to make them by hand. This led me to investigate the use of technology to design and manufacture my ideas.
The layering of pattern and the creation of shadows are of great interest to me. I strive to create work that the wearer can interact with, lockets, changeable cords, magnets and slots allow for playful contact with my pieces.
Rachel Whitehead is a recent graduate of The Manchester School of Art. Achieving a First Class Honours Degree in Three Dimensional Design Rachel is now launching her first jewellery collection. Inspired by the structure of plants and flowers. She employs computer technologies to design and manufacture a wearable range of solid silver and laser cut Perspex pieces.
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Background product information for press use 300 words Include inspiration, materials, process, interesting / relevant facts around you designing this product and information on your collaboration if relevant |
At the start of my final year at university I set myself a challenge, I wanted to push myself to produce work in a different way.
My work started in the way I have naturally previously worked, with the exploration into the creation of form through repetition of a single element. Due to the complexity of my designs I could see that it would not be feasible to make them by hand. This led me to explore the use of CAD and CAM within my practice.
I immersed myself in this new digital world and found it to be fantastically frustrating, highly demanding but, most of all, hugely rewarding. I am eager to further explore the possibility of CAD and CAM within my work whilst also building on my jewellery making technical ability.
I am most interested in plant forms that are made from many repeated parts. I seek to replicate this quality when creating patterns for applying to my work. Layering of pattern and the creation of shadows are of great interest to me. I strive to create work that the wearer can interact with, lockets, changeable cords, magnets and slots allow for playful contact with my pieces.
The process of rapid prototyping requires a file to be created using computer aided design software, this file is then read and transformed into successive minutely thin layers which are layered on top of one another to create an almost identical three dimensional physical object. Different rapid prototyping machines can print in many different plastics, metals and ceramics. To create the silver pieces in my collection the designs were printed in wax and then traditionally lost wax cast.
I endeavour to create a sophisticated dialogue between hand and machine to create beautiful, wearable and desirable jewellery.
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100 words to feature in the Design Event MART catalogue about you and your product include the key points you want to get across for the Presents audience |
The inspiration for my current body of work is the result of an exploration into the construction of form through repetition of a single element. Due to the complexity of my designs I could see that it would not be feasible to make them by hand. This led me to investigate the use of technology to design and manufacture my ideas.
The layering of pattern and the creation of shadows are of great interest to me. I strive to create work that the wearer can interact with, lockets, changeable cords, magnets and slots allow for playful contact with my pieces.
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