Stephanie Rolph

Tactile is becoming a buzzword for designers, journalists, technologists, futurists alike. In today's hyper-digitalised world we seem fascinated with the 'real': fetishising touching physical materials and surfaces. The tactile is very much in fashion.

Tangible Impressions is a research project exploring this emerging trend; focusing on how and why we touch, and what could be lost as technology becomes even more embed within society.

The pieces here are the initial outcomes of this research. They illustrate the beginnings of the investigation into the question:
Can textiles record and represent physical presence in our digital world?
Like a handprint in concrete, a dropped programmatic tracking cookie on your browser or a memory foam mattress imprint; can textiles be part of a permanent or transient conversation between humans and surfaces?

This project, through material research, experimentation and development aims to address the position of textiles within this often virtual, digital world. Challenging both the role of textiles and its representation in a society dominated by screens and digital interfaces.