Inspiring editorial from MIX Magazine
Some motifs rise and sink in our collective consciousness, the inevitable consequence of a complex web of social and cultural factors. Part of the forecaster’s remit is to spot the ebb and flow of this popularity; here we look at the sinuous appeal of seaweed.
In 1872, British Sea Weeds was published in England. This book was the result of 14 years research by Margaret Gatty, whose interest had been piqued when sent on a rest cure to Hastings. Gatty was not the only 19th century English woman fascinated by seaweed; the novelist George Eliot and Queen Victoria were both avid collectors, reflecting a broad fashion for naturalism that dominated at the time.
The Met | Seaweed | Shibata Zeshin | Edo Period 1615-1868 | The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
As holidays on the beach grew in popularity, so seaweed pressing became an alternative to flowers. It seemed that Victorians just couldn’t get enough of seaweed, both real and represented.
This 19th century popularity had its roots in the previous century, where the godfather of the seaweed motif, William Kilburn, made his mark. Kilburn was an illustrator and printer of calico; among the exquisite but predictable florals, Kilburn deftly wove seaweeds of great delicacy and clarity, in vivid colours that look strikingly modern. Kilburn’s legacy continues today in Timorous Beasties’ Oceana wallpaper collection.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum | Ornamental Design with Coral, Seaweed, and Shells | 19th century France
Seaweed motifs appear throughout time; swirls of seaweeds mix with octopus tentacles on ancient Mycenaean pottery, a bed of seaweed supports a sleeping Ariadne in a fresco in Pompeii, delicate, stylised paintings have long been popular in Japan (it helps that seaweed is a ubiquitous food ingredient). However, it really was the 19th century where seaweed fever took hold. This passion quietened by the 20th century, although motifs persisted in china.
Current takes on seaweed are varied, but it’s clear that a certain naturalism is now in the ascendancy. Take Dado Atelier’s Sea Fans wallpaper, designed by Jo de Pear, an artist specialising in cyanotypes. Textile artist Jasmine Linington explores seaweed as a raw material, working with SeaCell (seaweed and eucalyptus cellulose). Her work, including kelp sequins and pressed seaweed, is firmly rooted in naturalism. Likewise, luxury French textile house Métaphores has Eden, an abstracted seaweed print designed to evoke a ‘sub-aquatic world’.
Métaphores | Eden
MIX Magazine is a quarterly print and digital publication by our creative agency, Colour Hive and is available as part of the PIONEER subscription of In Colour.
Duha Group is a global, industry leading manufacturer of innovative colour marketing tools. We specialise in colour matching, colour mass reproduction and colour system management.
We are here for all your colour needs, let’s talk…
Want to stay updated on global colour solutions? Sign up for our quarterly Colour Strategy Newsletter.
