Ryan Hughes

The Shepherd. The Shipwright. The Tanner.

One of the aspects that I was drawn towards when researching my lineage was my ancestors working lives. A large majority of my ancestors would have been seen as working class, working in factories, tanneries, shipyards and farms. These roles for the time would have been predominantly seen as 'masculine'. This idea of masculinity is something that has arisen throughout my research, for example family trees are the male linage of a family and when it comes to historical working documentation, females are rarely documented.

This body of work sets out to explore the notion of masculinity in these job roles, focusing on The Shepherd The Shipwright and The Tanner. The aim was to strip the masculine qualities from the uniforms both through construction and material.

Generations of Process

Historically Tartans were designed using resources native to the areas of land people inhibited, and today its association lies with the clan system. Tartan as a material doesn’t have just strong ties to Scotlands culture and identity, it is also seen as one of the most political materials and has had endless connotations throughout its history.

For my approach to Tartan, I created Generations of Process which became the focal point of my creative process. Using processes that linked to the lives of my ancestors, I created 'material portraits' through Tartan that told the story of my families history. They reference my ancestors lives, my experience and the relationships I built with my relatives throughout the project.

A Life on Paper.

To understand my own identity, both within my family and in my culture, I decided to gain a clearer understanding of the people who have shaped me, be that through relationship or by association. Through extensive research into my own family tree, I began to build relationships with my ancestors, learning in-depth about their life stories. This research went on to underpin the whole body of work, acting as the springboard for the story woven throughout and acting as the base for Generations of Material.