Historical information
One of three We The Makers videos commissioned by the Programs and Education department at the National Wool Museum to assist in learning and engagement alongside the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025 exhibition at the National Wool Museum.
The films feature artist interviews from three finalists from We the Makers, providing insights into their personal influences, the motivations behind their material choices and the impact of culture on artistic practice.
This film features designer Max Bell and his work 'Transfiguration'.
Artist Statement:
This collection, ‘Transfiguration’, originally stems from the way Brutalist architecture spaces, commonly cold and geometric, have been transformed with plants and organic matter to create an interesting dichotomy. Max translates this to his collection through viewing it as a growing canvas with the collection beginning as geometric and technological based looks to then morphing into an ethereal and organic look with the garments being taken over by moss slowly growing on the collection.
Max has depicted this moss through the rug making process of tufting, highlighting the differing greens and levels throughout through a mastery of these skills. These processes are then depicted onto silhouettes commonly within the gorpcore aesthetic further promoting the outdoor element of the collection.
Max utilises a series of ripstop fabrics and technical style nylons commonly associated with the outdoors which is juxtaposed by the wool yarn of the tufting promoting themes of renewability and nature. This works represents his design aesthetic through common use of functional fabrics, a fascination with textures and use of uncommon fabrics to try and create an innovative design or to explore an untapped idea. Through this collection the sustainable practice arises from the use of dead stock fabrics and primary use of wool yarn a notoriously renewable material that leaves a positive impact.
Physical description
Three minute and eleven second digital video with audio.
