A definition of textiles

In your own words, write a definition of 'textiles' in its broadest sense. What materials do you consider to be 'textile' materials? When is a material not a textile? Can you identify any examples?

It is quite hard to define 'textiles' and to work out where textiles begins and ends, and define the crossing-over points into other artistic disciplines such as painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, not to mention those defined as 'craft' such as the many forms of needlework, sewing, dressmaking, costume and set design.

I suppose that prior to starting this course, I thought that textiles had to involve material of some kind, whether woven, knitted, fused, created from synthetic particles; materials that have some kind of motion or movement connected to them. But I am beginning to understand that almost anything can be considered textile, and that it has more to do with the quality, texture, feel, drape of the material, or the unexpected absence of these qualities that decides whether a particular piece 'belongs' in the discipline of textiles.

New fabrics and materials are being developed to answer needs of their users, such as in sport or extreme weather conditions, and can often be developed for one use and then broadened out for use in wider population.

A bit like a musician, when asked to describe what genre their music sits in, in order to be able to explain it to someone who doesn't know it.

I think artists who work in the area of textiles often like to move between different disciples, which can be seen in the commercial end of the discipline, where the same fabric design or pattern can be used for multiple end pro

Does this mean that wallpaper should be considered a textile? I guess it must, as it is printed on paper which comes from a natural source - wood, rags.

I think textiles often have a decorative aspect - whether of the person or the place.

Must they always be functional? Sometimes yes, sometimes no - can develop into a functional piece or be entirely decorative.

Textiles :

• Spans from the science end to the art end, pulling in other disciplines along the way

• Commercial, product-focused to other end of the scale - deeply personal expression of self, or an idea that the artist wants to communicate

Geotextiles - used to shape our outdoor environment - whose properties mean they can be combined with soil in such features as embankments.

In summary, it is hard to define textiles as it seems to stretch into other disciplines, but I think this could be a positive rather than a negative, as it grants a certain freedom to anyone who considers themselves to be working in or interested in this medium.