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Media: DesignTex wool felt, machine embroidered rayon yarns, hand tufted conductive yarns, acrylic, lamp and electrical parts. Individual units: 11"w x 11"h x 5"d.Manufactured by hand at IFM.

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Petal Pusher is a series of interactive textile and light boxes, which can be hung in gourps on the wall as an installation, or can sit alone a table as a lamp.

These light boxes explore the hidden electrical and transmissive properties of textiles. Each pattern is machine embroidered on DesignTex wool felt and hand tufted with electronic yarns. When viewers touch the tufted, electronic-textile sensor area of each pattern (the sensor), the felt and embroidered yarns are illuminated from behind, revealing the transmissive properties of the textile. Forty-nine unique patterns - all derived from a single motif - are available, in numerous configurations. Each pattern is limited to an edition of twelve.

Each patented, electronic textile sensor is made of yarn twisted with fine metal fibers that are charged with a small, harmless amount of electricity. Your body is a big bag of electrically conductive salt water. Touching the tufted sensors allows the electrical charge to flow from the yarn, through your body, to ground. Circuitry detects this change in charge and sends an electrical signal to brighten and dim the lights.

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Four Units: All On

Four Units: All Off