Part Four - Research Point

I have three favourite textile artists, they all inspire me in various ways!

Kaffe Fassett

Kaffe Fassett was born in San Francisco in 1937. When he was 19, Kaffe won scholarship to the Museum Of Fine Arts School in Boston, but left after 3 months to paint in London. He settled in England in 1964.

His work is a great inspiration to me, his mixture of colours are wonderful and rich.
Fassett's work is with Fabrics, Needlepoint, Mosaic, Patchwork, Knitting, Painting & Rugs. He tries to convey to you that a sense of colour is not something you automatically know about; you  discover and rediscover its secrets by playing with it and, above all, by constantly looking....
Fassett was trained as an artist, his paintings have been shown and collected in London, New York and San Francisco over many years. His murals, too, feature in many homes and commercial enterprises.

Flowers and Foliage - He says " For sheer variety the world of flowers and leaves has few rivals for the decorative artist. From the subtlest washy tones and shapes to vibrant, full blown forms, this theme has fed the imagination of artisans in every part of the world since humans first started to embellish their surroundings. Whether depicted in simple, childlike forms or in the most refined realism, flowers rarely fail to captivate the viewer"

Kaffe ventured into the world of colourful yarn on a visit to a Scottish wool mill with fashion designer Bill Gibb. Inspired by the colours in the landscape, Kaffe was thrilled to find the same colours in yarns. He bought 20 colours of Shetland wool and some knitting needles, and on the train back to London a fellow passenger taught him how to knit. His first design appeared as a full page spread in Vogue Knitted magazine.
Kaffe's unique sense of colour and drive to create, combined with his desire to encourage others, has led to his reputation as a guru in the world of colour and textiles.

www.kaffefassett.com


Jilli Blackwood

Jilli Blackwood is an internationally known textile designer and artist. Since graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1986 with a 1st class honours degree in Art & Design, her work has been exhibited extensively, and she is represented in many prestigious museum, corporate, and private collections worldwide.
Her work with textiles ranges from: clothing and accessories through bespoke home furnishings to fine art wall hangings. She also paints in oil, producing vivid abstract paintings, beautiful, vibrant, simmering surfaces replete with hidden meaning.
Jilli is renowned for her embroidery techniques and for combining different fabrics such as silk, leather, and linen to create a colourful, sensual, three-dimensional surface. All fabrics are hand dyed in an inspiration process of artistic alchemy.  She also weaves her own fabrics on a 24 inch Harris loom.
Her work is truly inspirational (especially Art to Wear), her work breaks down the barrier between craft and art.

www.jilliblackwood.com

Yoshiko Jinzenji

Yoshiko Jinzenji is an internationally known weaver, dyer, fabric artist, teacher and quilter, and she has many years of experience in these techniques. Her work seems connected by simplicity and timelessness, I love how she plays with shapes, and colour on a field of white fabric and stitching. I am also intrigued by her use of hand stitching and applique.
Yoshiko lives and works in Japan and in Bali. Her quilts are straight to the point and simple. They are spiritual and the attention to detail really stands out.

www.yoshikoquilt.com


How do you view textile art? Do you think about it in the same way that you would look at a painting or a piece of sculpture? How far do you feel it has become accepted as a medium for fine art by the art establishment?

When I have looked at research it has brought to light that textile art has become very popular, it's certain that it has given a new twist in the art world and I really like it.When I started this course I would have said painting and a piece of sculpture were totally separate arts and different to textile art, but after eight months of this course and looking at objects and items differently It has changed my mind completely. Textile art is definitely linked to painting and sculpture without doubt!
I think it has become accepted by the art establishment because of the comments and work which have come to light surfing the Internet.