SURFACE DESIGN JOURNAL -- Associate Professor of Art Victor De La Rosa contributes an article exploring technological advances in textiles. The article, which features images of textile artwork by students Cristal Rico and Geoff Ludwig, notes that SF State has one of the only laser cutters in the country dedicated to its textiles area.
“Students work freely between the print studio and the Epilog Legend EXT laser cutter,” De La Rosa writes in the spring issue. “The accessibility of this process has been bolstered by the increased ubiquity of smartphones, tablets and apps. As a result, the learning curve for creating vector files for the laser cutter has been flattened.”
He also examines the “significant digital counterparts for analog textile techniques” since the turn of the century.
“Fine art textiles and fashion entrepreneurs have benefitted from the innovation and access to tools and supply chains once reserved for industry,” De La Rosa writes. “Each tech development met with faster adoption, always with industry leading. But in a switch up, the latest — laser technology — is being adopted by the textile industry, entrepreneurs, artisans, artists and education simultaneously.”
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Soldier by Geoff Ludwig. Cotton, laser cut. 24 inches by 18 inches. 2014. Student project for Repeat Pattern for Fine Arts and Design course. Photo: Kim Arteche.