Rodchenko, Popova and Sonia Delaunay

The Rodchenko and Popova exhibition at Tate Modern on London's south bank didn't impress my daughters much, but I found the show interesting, particularly Popova's textile designs. These exciting patterned fabrics were mass-produced in Russia around the beginning of the 20th century. Printed with harsh, bright colours they were unlike anything being produced in the West at the time. They became commercially successful. Indeed all Moscow was wearing clothes using fabrics designed by Popova without ever knowing that they were 'designer'. I could clearly see the similarity with the work of Sonia Delaunay whose designs I became aware of in the early 1990's. I created a series of hand knits for Betty Jackson, based on some of Delaunay's prints.