DIE TEXTILE GRENZVERSCHIEBUNG À LA NADINE GOEPFERT
Die Berliner Designerin und Künstlerin Nadine Goepfert widmet ihr Schaffen dem Experimentieren mit Stoffen und Materialien. Durch ihren konzeptuellen Ansatz und die stetige Entwicklung neuer Arbeitsweisen kreiert und visualisiert sie ihre visionäre Idee von Stoffen, ihrer Bedeutung und Verwendungsmöglichkeiten. So stellt sie unser Verständnis dessen, was wir täglich tragen, mit jedem ihrer Entwürfe wieder auf die Probe, wie sie im Interview mit Material Girl erklärt.
Can you tell us a bit about you and your background?
I studied textile design at School of Art Berlin Weißensee and Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam. My creative work consists of strong concepts at the intersection of social research and material culture. It is predominantly based on a research on garments, individual and society in which I attempt to reveal our unconscious and unapparent habits in relation to clothing. This research is applied both theoretically and practically in from of material explorations. Through detailed observation and analysis of our daily handling of garments and the body language related to it I develop innovative textile materials and new functions for garments. My findings are manifesting in various collections of experimental fashion, textile designs and art installations, that are built around the idea of the “real” garment
What came first, your interest in textile or in fashion?
Textile. After school I stumbled upon textile design which seemed to be the perfect combination of art and design, but still connecting to some traditional crafts. It offers a lot a freedom, the fact that you are able to work with your hands and that your outcome is not necessarily related to one product, convinced me. For me it was never about creating the shape of a garment. I love tactility and structures, this is what I am mainly interested in.
Your work is always on the edge between art and fashion, how far do you push those boundaries?
Actually I do not consciously push these boundaries, it was never my intention to create something that finds place at this intersection. I think it is more the combination of my theoretic, social research and my idea of illustrating these thoughts in form of material structures. When it comes to creating a material I enjoy the freedom of experimentation. It is only the medium of the garment that automatically creates the connection to fashion. Though fashion is not where I position my work. The only interest I have in fashion is the temporary aspect of it, my main interest lays in the garments we wear and the curiosities and social aspects linked to it.
Does it mean the same thing for your work to be in a museum and in a store?
I like to play around with the perception of objects in different surrounding and different ways of presentation. Though my work is very conceptual so I prefer to show it in the context of exhibitions and galleries, cause people are motivated to dig deeper into the thoughts behind the work.
Do you think textiles change the behaviour and attitude of the wearer?
Movements which are considered natural and part of our body language, are often based on the garment we are wearing. The construction and features of our garment become an illustration of our current situation, maybe even of our mood and character (nervously tugging at the end of a sleeve, fiddling with the collar, wrapping a large cardigan extra tight around your torso). Furthermore
those movements, or the results of them are subconsciously attributed with special characteristics and correspond with a special (dress) code. We consider the moment when someone is putting their hands in jeans pockets as “casual” or the rolled up sleeves of a white collar shirt as a sign of transition between work and leisure but this is simply the impact of a movement determined by a garment later re-appropriated with a new social meaning.
Do you have a particular person or muse in mind when you design?
My „muse” can be anybody, a random guy or girl on the train, a woman sitting next to me in the restaurant. My work is first of all based on observations in daily life situations and surroundings.
What are your favourite textiles to work with?
On the one hand I like natural textiles and traditional techniques. At the same time I like to discover and create new materials and enjoy the challenge of processing them.
What have been the most tricky textiles to work with so far and why?
There have been several! The memory foam was quite a challenge, so is latex and any kind of plastic material.
What are your plans and projects for this year?
I will be going more into education, giving workshops at different design/art schools. Regarding my personal work I will step away from the garment for a while and will concentrate more on other textiles/objects.
