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My breadth of practice and multi-faceted approach has made me somewhat unusual in the woven textiles sphere. Whether it be site-specific art, exhibition work or interior textile design, underpinning all of my work is an inherent practical curiosity to exploit weave principles and create striking aesthetics for this ancient craft. Recent bodies of work that have delved further into my use of acrylic encapsulation for the most delicate of textile structures are particularly notable for their surprising use of woven construction techniques. Rooted in craft practice, the juxtaposition of the fine cloth and the hard edged acrylic, results in totally unexpected ‘textile’ artworks.
The creative rationale and inspiration for this body of work is multi-faceted. Firstly, as a woven textile artist and designer, I have always been deeply inspired by the unwoven warp threads on a loom. The aim of the ‘Loose Threads’ series is to capture the visual impact of the warp: its linear qualities and the optical mixing of pure colour in that moment in time before the warp is tensioned to begin weaving. Each artwork is completely unique: it is impossible to capture the exact same movement of threads more than once.
Other Resonate artworks such as take a more structured approach but still explore the concept of making the most delicate and ephemeral of textile structures permanent. These artworks are also wonderful examples of the dramatic optical illusions created by the reflective internal planes, which invites the curiosity of the viewer unsure of what they are looking at.
I also wanted to address some of the common issues that sometimes hinder the confidence to invest in textile art, most notably the issue of longevity. Rather than just framing a textile artwork and protecting it behind glass, I wanted to make the means of protection integral to the work itself. Encapsulated in acrylic of the highest quality to ensure clarity, these textiles will not degrade over time.
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