Raamwerk

Jasmijn Wester and Calvin Kooiman are the designers behind JAS&CAL. Driven by an intense curiosity about how textiles are made, they experiment with tools, techniques and materials. In 2020, they began investigating woven window coverings, finding inspiration in samples from the museum collection and their own archive of hand-woven samples.

They opted to experiment with a fabric comprising a stainless-steel weft and cotton warp. The varying weaves produce open and closed structures in the fabric while the metal yarns create a surprisingly delicate play of light. The ‘Raamwerk’ project was inspired by the play of light on a small woven sample made with metal yarn.

The designers also found inspiration in the light reflecting off the rows of Dutch greenhouses seen from the sky, a publication about window coverings by Weverij De Ploeg, sample books from the TextielMuseum’s collection as well as their own extensive archive of hand-woven samples. JAS&CAL experimented with open and closed woven structures derived from lace. They also tried weaving with metal yarn. 

The project is a work in progress, and the designers continue to research possible applications. Weaving with a metal weft is new and requires a lot of testing. An accidental discovery during one of these tests was a rib weave that produced a very different result in metal than in cotton, creating openings in the fabric. Various rib weaves were researched to see how they reflected and filtered the light.

With this technique the weft yarns are woven around the warp yarns and in combination with the tight grip of the metal produce a sheer and open fabric allowing the light to pass through freely. These open structures intentionally provide insight into the weave construction and are visual cues that invite the observer to an attentive look. The use of metal yarn gives the fabric a special effect. Depending on the weave, it either reflects light or transmits it. At the same time, it has a very subtle appearance. JAS&CAL try to use these effects optimally and apply them in the elaboration of different patterns. It is a game of function and aesthetics.