Narrative in Textile Artwork

Make a Wish

Narrative and textile art work exceptionally well together. For centuries textiles have been used to tell stories or provide a narrative, from Medieval times where your clothing reflected your status and importance through to the use of textiles in religious ceremonies or life events such as Christening gowns passed down through generations and clothing for special days.

Free Motion embroidered writing

Adding narrative to textile artwork can be done in many ways. The most obvious is embroidered writing, which can be both hand and free motion embroidered. It is possible to replicate the handwriting of a loved on in stitch, adding a further layer of narrative and

making a fabulous keepsake.

close up of Spring Days artwork

Narrative can also take the form of marks made in stitch, perhaps suggesting a journey as in the artwork above. The direction and intensity of the embroidery all add to the sense of this work is taking us on a journey.

Beach Finds

Narrative can also take the form of imagery. There's lots of flexibility in using images, the size of the images, number of images and choosing between partial images or whole ones. All help to provide the story of the artwork.

Those Days textile artwork

The narrative can be very obvious or more discreet, inviting the viewer to come to their own conclusions. This piece above, Those Days, has lots of narrative that takes the form of words, mark making, images and found items. There is the hint of a story, a suggestion of what the work is saying, but ultimately it is for the viewer to draw their own conclusion of what exactly the story is.

Narrative in textile art can be extremely obvious, or more subtle and questioning of the viewer. It can be created and added in many ways, using those detailed above on their own or in combination with each other.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on narrative in art - feel free to comment below.