Comments by Jill Flower, see more on JillFlower.com
Jill is an experimental textile artist and has an interest in all aspects of Embroidery.
The illustrative painter uses his brush and oils, acrylics, pastel and other mediums to create his ‘work of art’.
Similarly, the needle is the textile artist’s brush or pencil and the wealth of threads are their paints. When applied and intertwined with a fabric it becomes a unique ‘work of art’.
Textile art, often confused with industrial textile design, is a true art form – for visual pleasure, either representational or abstract. It is a genre often confused and denigrated as a ‘craft’.
Today’s textile artists, having mastered considerable traditional skills, are now pushing the boundaries of these skills using differing mediums, materials and construction.
Recognised works, such as Grayson Perry’s ‘Walthamstow Tapestry’ and Tracy Emin’s ‘Confessional Quilt’, have furthered the recognition of creative textile as an art form.
Art is surely a visual display to please, disturb or excite the eye and I feel that constructed/deconstructed textiles are part of this flourishing and exciting movement.