Creative Design: Graduate

Pathfinder

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Abstract

Although universities are traditionally considered low-stress environments, in recent years, a large number of academics are impacted by mental health issues like depression and anxiety (Levecque, et al., 2017; Shanafelt et al., 2009). A growing line of research has examined mental health problems in graduate students (Levecque et al, 2017; Mousavi, et al, 2018). Art interventions are being introduced into self-management in depression (Boehm, Cramer, Staroszynski, & Ostermann, 2014; McCann, 2013), with art forms including music, visual art, and dance (Schneider, 2018). In 2000, Reynolds explored the role of the textile arts for self-care in depression. The study stated that textile arts allow women to cope with depression in order to express their illnesses, while concurrently experiencing joy and confidence (Reynolds, 2000). In this study, the designer explored and experimented with how textile and apparel design could serve as a method for therapy depression and how she could demonstrate the aesthetic of fine art through textile and apparel design to create an interesting and complex visual form of wearable art.

Keywords: digital textile printing, surface manipulations, Art-interventions

How to Cite:

Wei, B. & Zhang, L., (2020) “Pathfinder”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12081