Play
Degree Project, Meredith Hoffman RISD 2015
As a kid, my favorite thing to do was play. Using my imagination and investigating processes was an integral part of how I navigated and discovered the world; I would dance around a place
that would only exist to me. I would immerse myself in a book or run around my back yard, climbing trees and making a mess. All of this play filtered through my learning at school, my experiences in new places, my interactions with others, and eventually my work at RISD. This collection is based on different modes of play I enjoyed as a child - each fabric is designed for a childhood performance or action that helped me relate to the world around me.
that would only exist to me. I would immerse myself in a book or run around my back yard, climbing trees and making a mess. All of this play filtered through my learning at school, my experiences in new places, my interactions with others, and eventually my work at RISD. This collection is based on different modes of play I enjoyed as a child - each fabric is designed for a childhood performance or action that helped me relate to the world around me.
The Fidget
To this day, I cannot sit still. In school, my teachers would show me how to finger crochet, knit, or doodle to keep my hands occupied while they read stories or lectured. This knit is to help occupy fidgety hands when sitting still is the only option.
The Mess
Making a mess is always fun. This knit is inspired by the messes I loved making as a kid, whether in my room as an art project, or playing a game in the backyard. Things were more fun when they were messy, and having the opportunity to make a mess was an important part of growing up.
The Reader
I loved getting lost in stories when I was in a quiet mood. I could sit still and travel to a whole new place, unaware of what was going on around me. The weight and size of this knit is meant to wrap around the player, enveloping them in a new mental space to help transport them to this world.
The Crasher
My mom always said I had “bruised banana legs” from playing with reckless abandon. This padded fabric is for the kid who isn’t afraid of adventure, even if they fall along the way. The pattern is taken from the Pointed Village in the movie I watched all the time growing up, The Point. The Pointed Village is a place that is seemingly safe, but ends up being cruel to a young boy. As he adventures to a new place, then returns back to the village, the boy finds that something deemed scary is not so bad after all, as long as you are brave enough to explore it.
The Animal Adorer
Sometimes, pretending to be a cat is all I would want to do for a day. Learning about, interacting, and emulating my pets was another way I learned about the environment around me. Animals teach us to care and be considerate, and how to play well with others. The drawings on this fabric are taken from the drawings of my classmates in elementary school of their own favorite animals.
The Object Collector
This print is made for a player who understands the preciousness of every object they come across. Ordinary pebbles inspire the ground design as knit pockets and embroidery reflect the new meaning the player places on the objects. The pockets can be used to keep every beloved object safe.
