Lesson video

Hello everyone, how are you today? I hope you're feeling great.

My name is Miss Alsbers, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson, which I am feeling very pleased about because I love teaching art and also because today we're looking at textiles, which is so interesting, and we're looking at objects in textiles.

That's the title of our lesson.

Our lesson comes from the Unit of Work Foundation workshops.

So I hope you're feeling interested in what we'll be exploring and if you've got some energy, focus and enthusiasm, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can review the range of ways textile artists have been inspired by objects.

We have some keywords.

Let's go through them.

Object, composition and signify.

What do these words mean? Well, object is a thing that can be seen or touched, often used in artwork to represent an idea meaning or story.

Composition, the arrangement of elements in an artwork and signify to show mean or represent something.

These are our keywords.

Object, composition, and signify.

A lesson is called objects in textiles, and it has three learning cycles.

First of all, textile artist spotlight objects.

Next, visual deconstruction objects.

And finally, personal connection in textile art objects.

Let's begin by looking at textile artist spotlight objects.

Why do you think objects are a popular subject in textile art? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Objects can signify deeper meanings, allowing artists to convey complex themes and narratives.

Textile artists can create, depict and transform objects through various techniques like dying, stitching, and embellishment.

I wonder if you said something like that.

Textile artists use objects in their work for a variety of reasons.

Pause here and share with someone what do you think some of those reasons could be.

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if you came up with any of these ideas.

Using found objects, demonstrating technical skill, signifying deeper meanings, exploring compositions, personal expression.

Some textile artists create still lifestyle works, documenting objects with a focus on accuracy.

This kind of representation is very common in western art history.

What other things could be important when depicting objects in textile art? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

In some cultures, accurate depictions are less important than factors like stylized representation or objects which signify other meanings.

Andean textile fragments from the Wari culture, 600 to 1000 CE, show simplified images of animals and special objects repeated in patterns to show beliefs or social importance.

Kantha quilts from 1800 Bengal, India, include decorated images of everyday and religious objects arranged in story-like designs, that signify daily life or personal memories.

Check for understanding true or false.

Objects and textiles are always reproduced accurately to create a realistic depiction.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and I would like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Textile artists often stylize objects to signify meaning, emotion, or culture, rather than aiming for realism.

Why might textile artists choose to depict everyday objects in their work? Pause here and share with someone.

Here are some answers.

I share the items were close by making them easy to observe and practise textile techniques.

Lucas says they might have personal meaning, adding emotion to the piece, and Sam thinks the objects might be a common symbol for a wider concept or theme, such as a skull and death.

Objects can be used in textile art to signify a deeper meaning or philosophical questions.

For example, a skull stitched or printed on fabric can symbolise death, mortality or remembrance.

Can you think of other objects that could signify a deeper meaning? Pause here and shout with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

What topics could each of these objects signify? Pause here and share with somebody.

What do these objects signify? Thanks for sharing.

I wonder what you came up with.

Few ideas that came to me were first one royalty.

The next one, hair, hairstyles.

The light bulb could signify light, and the donuts could signify pleasure.

Objects in textiles can signify value in status.

In textiles, objects like jewels, beads, or gold thread can symbolise wealth, status or cultural value.

Decorative techniques such as embroidery or embellishment also represent value through time and skill.

Artists that use objects to signify shared meanings.

Chiharu Shiota in homeless Home 2025, suspends found objects like chairs and shoes in red thread, evoking memories and the emotional weight of migration and connection.

Xenobia Bailey uses vibrant yarn to crochet bowls, dishes, and everyday objects, re-imagining them to celebrate black American culture, spirituality, and identity.

And Judith Scott used textile materials and discarded objects to create intricate sensory rich fibre sculptures that often reflect her personal experiences and inner world.

Textile artists can use the theme objects to signify or comment on important issues in society.

This can be part of a social action project.

Textile artists can use objects and the themes they signify to address important global issues.

El Anatsui uses bottle caps and metal to create textile like hangings that reflect on waste, global trade and colonial histories.

Jamele Wright Sr.

combines Dutch wax cloth and red clay in "ReBorn 6." To explore African heritage identity and cultural memory.

And Vanessa Barragao reuses textile waste in coral inspired works to highlight climate change and ocean damage.

Textile artists may use objects which have personal significance rather than a shared meaning.

These objects can evoke emotions like nostalgia, joy, or reflection for both the artist and the viewer.

Can you think of a local artist who uses personal objects in this way? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing textile artists, making personal connections with objects in their art include, Jessica Grady transforms discarded items into vibrant stitched artworks, highlighting sustainability and beauty in the overlooked.

Mark McLeish creates wearable broaches using mixed textiles and sculptural techniques, drawing on personal stories and the emotional power of everyday objects.

And Nicholas Daley explores the interplay of fashion, music, and culture using textiles to reflect his Jamaican heritage.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following best explains why textile artists might use personally significant objects.

A, to express emotions that can connect with the viewer.

B, to follow traditional art techniques and processes.

C, to make the artwork look more realistic and detailed, or D, to show that they own valuable important objects.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if selected, answer A.

Textile artists can work creatively with objects to produce unexpected results by, rearranging objects in different compositions, changing viewpoints and angles, experimenting with materials and techniques.

Altering scale or proportion.

Combining found or unusual objects, using abstraction or distortion.

What other surprising approaches can textile artists take when working with objects? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Textile artists developing their work using objects include, Raisa Kabir, reimagines weaving as a language, using objects and materials to explore cultural identity and colonial histories.

Michael Brennan Wood, layers found materials like wire and wood into circular mandala like textile compositions that transform everyday objects into decorative symbols.

Gavin Fry uses found items, stitch surfaces and layered compositions to explore memory, identity, and the emotional weight of everyday objects.

Textile artists may also use objects as a subject or material to, embellish by adding pattern and texture.

Play with traditional compositions.

Tell stories through objects.

Use objects as an art material ready-mades.

Reflect culture or history through objects.

Check for understanding true or false.

Textile artists can use objects as a subject or material for their artwork.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you said true and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Textile artists often use found or personal objects to add meaning to their work.

These objects can tell stories, represent identity or culture, or become part of the textile itself through stitching, layering, or embellishment.

And now it's time for your first task.

Select two or three textile artists or specific artworks and compare them.

Consider these questions.

In what ways are the artworks visually similar or different? Subject, colour, tone, shape style, composition, and materials.

What theme symbols or ideas did the artworks explore? Are there any connections between them? Pause here while you have a go at this task.

You may have said something like this.

I think Judith Scott's wrapped sculptures are very different to Vanessa Barragao's, large wall tapestries, but they both use recycled materials and objects.

The colours are different too.

Scots are more muted.

And Laura says, Scott's work feels more chaotic like she's hiding or protecting objects with yarn and string.

Barragao's ocean pieces are neater and full of texture and brighter blues and greens like coral reefs, or you may have compared them in this way.

Judith Scott, tightly wrapped found objects, layered, muted colours, irregular compositions, often lumpy or tangled.

And Vanessa Barragao compositions are circular or flowing.

Large scale textile wall pieces using recycled wall and rope colour range reflect the sea and nature.

And what's commented on both the idea of using recycled or discarded objects and materials.

Well done for having a go at this task.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle.

Visual deconstruction objects.

What's the first thing you notice about this textile artwork? Pause here and shout with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps you notice the colour, maybe the lines patterns.

Text artists use various techniques to communicate to network the elements of art, line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, texture.

Composition, space and perspective.

Materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

We can deconstruct these techniques to understand the work more deeply.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is not one of the main ways textile artists communicate ideas in their work.

A, colour line, form, shape and texture.

B, imagery and subject selected and shown.

C, materials and techniques used in the work.

D, the artist's age and personal information.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done.

If you selected answer D.

Indeed the artist's age and personal information is not one of the main ways that textile artists communicate ideas in their work.

How are the elements of art used in this work? Pause here and share with someone.

Perhaps you shared something like this.

Hanging textile objects form an immersive installation.

Repeated circular shapes create rhythm and pattern.

The colours in the work are bright and varied.

Geometric thread lines contrast with soft, circular forms. Bound and woven string creates rich surface texture.

Flat areas of colour create strong visual contrast.

How has the artist used textile techniques to turn everyday objects into something meaningful? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

We can see a dress that's been made from chicken wire, plastics and cotton wall.

Artists can adapt the textile techniques they use to influence the way we interpret the work.

Dressmaking can signify themes like mending, care or traditional gender roles, which some artists may celebrate or challenge.

Using objects like plastics may link to consumerism, pollution, or protecting the environment.

Did you interpret this textile work in a different way? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Can you think of any other textile techniques that influence the way we interpret work? Who's here and consider this.

Thanks for your consideration.

Here's Laura.

By changing the shape of objects, El Anatsui creates something beautiful from waste.

And Andeep, wrapping and bandaging objects like Judith Scott's work can suggest protection or concealment.

Embroidery and embellishment with found objects like Jessica Grady can invite personal connections.

Laura is analysing a textile entrapment made from a stitch teabag containing paper, washers, foil, and string.

Different materials and surfaces create varied textures.

Objects like the metal washers suggest machinery.

Composition, abstract and free.

The hand stitch keeps objects in place.

Colours are brighter in the background, drawing attention there, reflective surfaces create visual interest contrast.

Andeep has an alternative interpretation of the same artwork.

Imbalance composition, with some negative space.

The entrapment technique captures the objects in the artwork.

The teabag with washers reminds me of my granddad having a cup of tea and teaching me to ride a bike.

A lovely memory.

I noticed the texture of the foil first as it is reflective.

Limited colour palette links to heat as they're warm colours.

When visually deconstructing an artwork, it's important to remember that each person notices different elements in an artwork.

Opinions are subjective.

Past experiences shape our interpretations.

Check for understanding which of the following is not a reason an artist might change or adapt to textile technique.

A, to express a personal message or idea.

B, to challenge how the viewer understands the work.

C, to explore texture, surface and form creatively.

D, to follow instruction from a sewing pattern.

Who's here while you decide? Well done if you selected answer D, and now it's time for your next task.

Select one textile artwork and deconstruct it.

Describe what you can see in the textile artwork, the elements of art, line tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, texture, composition, space and perspective, materials and techniques, imagery and subject.

How the artist has used these techniques to communicate with the audience.

You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork.

Write it as a paragraph or record on audio or video.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

You might have said something like this.

The objects are mostly monochromatic, with a focus on tone and subtle variation.

The textures of different materials contrast to draw attention.

Shadows have been recorded clearly with a bold contrast.

The composition is based on a bodice and skirt referencing the form of a traditional dress.

Repeated elements create pattern.

Plastics are used to create a fabric like fuel, that is expressive and flowing.

And now onto our next learning cycle.

Personal connection in textile art.

Object objects.

How can looking at a textile artist's work help us develop our own work? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy, art with similar themes can develop my ideas more than similar techniques or imagery.

Alex, I'll look at techniques and compositions and try to apply them to my theme.

And Jun, work that has similar imagery or objects can inspire even if the idea is different.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about taking inspiration from art? A, inspiration only comes from the theme of the artwork.

B, you can only use the artist technique for inspiration.

C, you can use any combination of imagery, theme and technique.

D, you must use all three imagery, theme and technique.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C, you can use any combination of imagery, theme and technique.

When taking inspiration from art.

There are a number of things which can cause us to have a personal connection with an artwork such as use of techniques, or expression of themes.

We can establish a personal connection to an artwork by interpreting how objects in a composition can signify deeper meanings or a theme.

We can often find links to our own work through deconstructing both the themes and techniques used in an artwork.

What object silhouettes can you identify in this textile piece and what themes do you interpret from the composition and the way the objects are arranged? Pause here while you share with someone.

What object silhouettes you can identify in this textile piece, which is a piece of cyanotype printing, where objects are placed on fabric and coated with light sensitive dye.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Aisha.

This reminds me of barbed wire and thread, like something being held together and torn apart.

Jacob, I see loops and tangled shapes that remind me of hair and string.

It makes me think about how hairstyles can show identity.

And Sofia, I noticed the clean edges and the soft blurry textures.

It makes me think about contrast, old and new, sharp and fragile.

Can you think of other theme interpretations? Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

Check for understanding.

True or false.

We can only connect to a textile artwork if the objects or materials used are personally meaningful to us.

Pause here inside if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

We can connect a textile art through its ideas, themes, or techniques, even if the materials aren't personal to us.

Artists often use objects with shared cultural or symbolic meanings.

And now it's time for your final task.

Select one textile artwork and use the questions below to consider your personal connection.

What themes, symbols, or ideas does this art explore? Are there any symbols, imagery, or connections between them that help create a narrative or show meaning? Which techniques, processes, or creative decisions in this artwork inspire you? And how might you use them in your own work? You might record this as an idea shower around an image of an artwork.

Write it as a paragraph or record on audio or video.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

You might have said something like this, theme, memory and family.

For me, the use of objects feels like a portrait of my granddad evokes feelings of nostalgia for tea time while fixing bikes with him.

I'm inspired by the idea of experimenting with unusual materials and objects not typically used in textiles, such as wax and metals.

I'll create a repeated textile composition, using containers like teabags to trap personal objects that reflect memory.

Theme, multiples.

The repeated use of wire, plastic and cotton wall signifies protection and fragility.

These everyday objects feel soft but also disposable.

I'm inspired by the contrast of layered hard and soft materials and textures.

I plan to create a textile hanging using repeated soft items linked to childhood.

I'll experiment with stitching and wrapping around a wire frame, building up layers to reflect memory and protection.

In our lesson objects and textiles, we've covered the following.

Textile artists use objects to signify personal, cultural, or emotional meaning.

Drawing on memory, identity, or heritage.

Found or everyday objects are stitched, wrapped, or layered, transforming them through textile processes.

Textures, colours and patterns help signify themes such as sustainability, community or history.

Reworking traditional objects in textile compositions can celebrate culture, or raise awareness of global issues.

While done, everyone for joining in with this lesson, it was great to explore objects in textiles with you to look at themes, compositions, and your personal connection to artworks.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you, and I hope to see you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.