While completing her Masters in Illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University, animator and illustrator Rachael Abbott started to focus more on hand-painted frame by frame animations, and less on the linocut animated GIFs she made during lockdown. “It wasn’t until I was approached by Salford Slow Fashion CIC to create a linocut logo, did I remember how much I enjoyed the process of linocut,” says the printmaker. Salford Slow Fashion CIC is a two person operation (Jess and Natalie) based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford. Their aim is to use art and textiles as a communicator to educate, up-skill, and empower.
Rachael tells us; “I was really intrigued by the concept behind the logo and I loved that they wanted to use linocut specifically”. The duo wanted to capture the mill’s history – the design was based on old fabric stamps, and the stars represent the eighteen workers who sadly died during a fire at the mill. Natalie and Jess are then also depicted above the mill with sewing needles and thread, watching over the Mill. Rachael states; “Although my comforts lie in craft animation, I found this brief really wholesome. Creating a logo and type to me would usually be quite daunting, but because it was linocut and as it was for a local company, I was eager to get carving!”
“I think their entire ethos is great, literally having ‘slow fashion’ in their name was what made me want to know more about them. They’re definitely the type of small community invested company I’d like to work with again.“
Linocut (and craft) animation was extremely helpful for Rachael throughout lockdown, focusing her mind on other things rather than the anxieties she felt at the time. In her day job she works with Pinc College; a creative college which is vastly growing. Pinc works with neurodivergent students in art, digital art, and functional skills, and Rachael enjoys teaching the students craft animation. She comments; “A lot of them mention how focused they feel and how they enjoy the tactile nature of the practice”.
Rachael concludes; “In the future I’d love to work with other community or eco driven companies. I’d also love to create a music video… but I might need a few more pieces of lino than usual for that“.
www.rabbottillustration.com
@rabbott_illustration
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