Item NMC/1739E - Textile related to the Mackintosh Interpreted exhibition

The Centre for Advanced Textiles (CAT) at Glasgow School of Art was established in 2000 with a Research and Development Grant of £661,000 from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The remit of the centre is to: i) provide cutting edge facilities for textile design education; ii) investigate the aesthetic, technical and commercial opportunities presented by digital textile printing, and; and iii) operate a commercial service bureau for industry and individuals.

Alan Shaw was born in Ballymoney, N.Ireland and studied textiles at Glasgow School of Art. During his MDes, Alan spent five months working at Coats Viyella where he worked on Stork TCP printers and the initial trialling of the Stork Amethyst production printer. The resulting new knowledge was used to showcase his collection of interior prints. On completion of his MDes Alan took up a post at GSA, compiling technical research for the successful SHEFC funding application. This resulted in the Centre for Advanced Textiles (CAT) being established in 2000.Alan’s role involves collaborative research, textile consultancy and management of the Centre’s commercial activity. His research interests include investigating the role of facilitating designers/makers to integrate digital technology into their practice, helping to address perceptions of the technology and transferring acquired knowledge and skills.Before working at CAT, Alan spent four years with Glasgow textile printing firm Timorous Beasties overseeing print production and finishing. He has lectured at various Scottish colleges and continues to design and produce textiles on a freelance basis.