Bags Of Green Potential!
13 March 2007
Sharon Porteous recycles plastic carrier bags into fashion accessories.
Artists working locally often have problems gaining access to equipment and specialist workshop support, AA2A here at Derby goes some way to resolve this.”
Sean Smart
With the current climate change debate and environmental issues becoming ever more important, anything that can boost recycling is to be welcomed.
Sharon Porteous once unwittingly melted a plastic carrier bag with an iron – but this happy accident set her on the path to creating unique and ‘environmentally friendly’ fashion accessories.
The 35-year-old graduated from the University of Derby in Textile Design in 1994 and has returned this academic year to take her place on a pioneering art scholarship.
Following the freak accident, Sharon explored carrier bags for her degree, cut the bags into strips, created a thread and then wove the new material on a loom before finally pressing it with heat to bond the surface.
She has returned to our Jackson’s Mill building through a National Lottery funded scholarship scheme to discover how to add colour to her material and use new technologies to add further interest and variation to her design.
Sharon said: “I remember the mess created by the iron but immediately saw an opportunity to turn plastic bags into material. It links into the current debate about recycling and waste reduction so there has been plenty of interest in my products. It has featured wall hangings and bags.”
Since graduating, Sharon’s work has been featured across the country, and examples have been bought by The Crafts Council, London Abingdon Museum, Oxfordshire; and Bankfield Museum, Halifax, for their public collections.
She has sold her work nationally and globally and is also now a textiles lecturer at Newcastle-Under-Lyme College, in Staffordshire.
Now she is back at the University having successfully secured a place on the national AA2A – Artists Access to Art Colleges scheme to develop her product further. AA2A is funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council, England. It is a national project organised by the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design. It supports 21 colleges to provide more than 80 placements for artists to further their skills and ideas.
Sharon, from Norbury Avenue, Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, said: “I was delighted to land this placement. It is a great opportunity to be able to have access and time to develop my idea. I am using dyeing facilities, laser cutters and other equipment to create even more exciting designs and hopefully the opportunity to develop more products.
“Currently, my designs are restricted to the colour of the plastic bag I use so successfully using dyes will create further variety. I also hope to learn how to cut through layers of fabric using laser to offer further design possibilities.”
Sharon is one of four artists being supported by the University of Derby on the AA2A programme, managed by Project Coordinator Sean Smart. She also has support from the University’s Textile Design team led by Director of Textile Studies, John Angus.
John Angus said: “Looking back over the years since Sharon was an undergraduate, it becomes clear that her degree work in recycling plastics was in a pioneer vein. The interesting thing of course is the longevity of her product range – it is down to the unexpected beauty which she manages to elicit from very basic materials.”
The other AA2A artists are:
- May Ling Mason – a Derby graduate accessing ceramics
- Arsha Arshad – A South Birmingham College graduate using photography
- Laura Bacon – A Derby graduate accessing print.
Successful applicants are allowed 100 hours access time at the University as well as administration and Learning Centre support.
Sean said: “AA2A has been part of University of Derby, Art and Design since 1999. We’ve had close to 40 artists coming in and making use of the Faculty’s resources.
“The scheme plays an important role, offering resource support to local artists to aid their career development. One important aspect of AA2A is our students have the opportunity to meet with those on the scheme. Artists are available to discuss issues on professional arts practice and students can gain useful, practical advice on making a career in the arts.
“We were really pleased to invite Sharon onto AA2A. Her work is both exciting and relevant, it show perfectly how artists can embrace current environmental issues in a creative way. She has made good use of our facilities at Jackson’s Mill, allowing her to progress her work.
“Artists working locally often have problems gaining access to equipment and specialist workshop support, AA2A here at Derby goes some way to resolve this.”
For more details about the AA2A scheme contact Sean Smart on email at s.smart@derby.ac.uk or visit www.aa2a.org
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Simon Redfern, Senior Press and PR Officer, University of Derby on 01332 591942, or email s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.
