UF Select Draws Inspiration from Fine Art Techniques

June 02, 2023

Today, environmental sustainability is of top priority, and awareness is gaining traction. Objectives centered on sustainability are becoming common focal points for many organizations. At the heart of the fight for environmental health, no doubt, is industrial production. The textile industry uses upwards of one million gallons of water a day. It also utilizes more than 10,000 tons of dye a year, with an estimated 90% coming from the global fabric industry. As of 2020, the construction industry accounted for 35% of global carbon emissions and between 45% and 65% of waste deposited in landfills.

It isn’t hard to see—sustainability starts with the design process. The materials we use, as well as the way in which we source them, is pivotal for the health of our planet. Fortunately, focus is turning to meet the challenge. Ultrafabrics’ Volar Bio, for example, represents one of industries first biobased, high-performance fabric, with a 29% Bio Preferred Program Label. Going beyond that, we’ve committed to incorporating at least 50% rapidly renewable or recycled resources into 100% of our portfolio by 2030, and are already almost halfway to achieving this goal.

Luckily, the rest of the design world seems to share our sentiment. Here are ten unique innovations that prove sustainable design isn’t only achievable, but fun!

Our Lino, Montage, and Impasto lines stem from three very particular art forms, and, to celebrate our color refresh, we’re taking a deep dive into each one. First, we turn to Lino printing, a very distinctive style of printmaking from which UF Select’s Lino emerged.

Lino printing utilizes designs that have been cut into slabs of linoleum (Lino) to create intricate prints. Artists begin by selecting a preferred blade shape, which is then used to etch grooves into the piece of linoleum. When the artist is satisfied with the impression itself, which can range from scenes of realism to abstract combinations of geometric shapes, a thin layer of ink is spread across the linoleum’s surface. Next, a sheet of paper is laid over the design and pressure is applied. When the craftsman lifts the page back up, the result is a singularly unique piece of handicraft. Each print conveys a whimsical quirkiness; the method of printmaking is particularly intimate, allowing the artist’s personality to shine through authentically. While Lino printing’s origins trace back to German expressionism, the art form only achieved widespread popularity in the early 20
century. While, today, Lino pieces can be found in vibrant color, more traditional forms utilize a simple, black and white color-scape. In UF Select’s Lino line, White Marigold represents the stark white of such a palette, often employed by Lino printmakers to outline elaborate structures and figures.

UF Select’s Montage draws its inspiration from an artistic medium that you’ve probably attempted at least once in your life: collage. Collage, simply defined, is an art form that combines images, varying materials, and even small objects to create eye-catching works of art. The word itself derives from the French term “collér," which, in the literal sense, means “to glue.” Today, collage can be divvied into four principal styles. The first is paper collage, in which printed or decorated paper is glued to a separate surface, producing an entirely new image. Next is decoupage, which entails layering paper cut-outs over one another in complex designs. The third technique of photomontage sees a collection of individual photographs arranged to create one, overarching picture. Last is assemblage, in which small objects are applied to flat surfaces, forming 3-D representations. The art form itself dates back to tenth century Japan, and has been favored, in modern art, by famed Cubists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Collage is simultaneously dazzling and thought-provoking, leaving ample room for the artist to enjoy a freeing sense of creativity. In UF Select’s Montage line, Vivid Punch is a magenta hue embodying this sense of play perfectly; its vibrancy sparks the imagination, evoking the same care-free energy that collage pieces elicit from each of us.

Finally, we highlight impasto painting, the artistic technique out of which UF Select’s Impasto evolved. While traditional styles of painting incorporate delicate brushstrokes and smooth, flat surfaces, the impasto method is known for its thickly applied paint, which gives each piece a distinct appearance of depth and texture. In place of paintbrushes, artists often opt for palette knives or rags—these tools help to raise the top layer of paint, resulting in slight protrusions from the canvas. By virtue of impasto painting’s uneven surfaces, natural shadows are able to fall across the piece, producing a hypnotic illusion of volume. Vincent Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock are two of the most notable artists to employ this technique; their bold works are renowned for a remarkable sense of movement, which has been attributed to impasto’s dynamic layering of thick brushstrokes. Engaging the senses in a thoroughly unique way, they invite the viewer to reach out and touch, to feel the ridges and valleys of the paint for themselves. With the prominent role that natural light plays in impasto painting, you’ll find that many artists opt for shades invoking beams of sunlight—Roasted Squash, a hue within our Impasto Line, represents just such a golden ochre, conjuring a late-afternoon landscape bathed in warm rays.

Discover UF Select’s artistically inspired, artistically crafted materials here: Our color refresh awaits you!