This paper discusses two case studies colour flow and Colour Collage. These cases explore the visual effects of movement using coloured light as a continuous time-based medium in the field of textile design. They present new forms of instruments, textile instruments, interfaces which allow displaying light compositions inside textile surfaces.The textiles are based on woven structures integrating PMMA optical fibres, which are activated by RGB-LEDs and use a digital interface to realize light-emitting textile expressions. They explore in different ways the light emitting material, thereby not only creating new forms of physical objects, likewise introducing physical as well as nonphysical aspects of design expression – material expression, the light emitting fibres and the light as such. The projects propose new ways of thinking whilst designing with changeable material expressions. Light and Time, both used as physical and non-physical forms of material (optical fibres and light, programmed time duration and changing form of expression over time) create instruments (textile structure) and compositions (lighting sequences), fused into indivisible matter performing unique forms of expressions.

Peer reviewed