Reading Response on Free Cutting by Julian Roberts and To Cut is to Think by Celant:

 

Katrina Simon

January 29, 2016

Reading Responses

Free Cutting by Julian Roberts:

This article is about Julian Roberts subtraction cutting method in which you make clothes by removing fabric instead of adding fabric. He is explaining to the reader that pattern making doesn’t have to be all mathematical, you should think of a pattern and clothes having movement, volume and space by trying his ways of subtraction cutting. Julian is trying to convince his reader to become more experimental with patternmaking/ pattern cutting. He wants you to think more about volume and space when creating. Julian assumes that the reader does not think in volume and space when patternmaking/pattern cutting, he thinks that the reader thinks about making clothing by traditional patternmaking. Julian Roberts makes the assumption that most people who are reading this have a general knowledge about patternmaking and how clothes are made. He uses this knowledge he assumes you know and shows you a different way to do it. I think that his way of creating through cutting is really interesting and the methods presented in the text. I think he also helps readers understand that they can become more experimental with their patternmaking which I really like.

To Cut is to Think by Celant:

This excerpt is about how cutting has become a powerful tool for fine artists and fashion designers in the creative and making process. It is also discussed how fine arts and fashion comes together, both use cutting and they affect one another and what they design/create. Celant tries to convince the reader that cutting in fine arts and fashion design is so important and has a lot of meaning. Each cut means something and is used to symbolize what the piece (either art or fashion) is trying to express, like the sexual connotations that are discussed in the article.

The author assumes that the designers and artists he refers to are names that the reader knows and assumes they know their work. I think some of the names talked about are names that a reader who would look at the article would know but some I would have liked him to explain more or provide images of work discussed. Then, the reading could become clearer. I think it is really interesting how this article merges fine arts and fashion and show how both use cutting in their designing and how important it is to the creation of a piece. I especially thought this article was intriguing because I love fine arts and am thinking about minoring in it so I love when I can read about both fashion and fine arts.

 

PDF version: reading response 1