As a textile artist I have been primarily concerned with exploring the sculptural and three dimensional potentials of hand made felt along with the use of colour by hand dying the wool.

 

I am entranced by the tactile, manipulative and textural qualities of the raw wool and I find that there is a relationship between the hand working of the wool and the resulting felt. Like handwriting, the felt is unique to the hand that makes it.

 

The transformation of wool into felt; into a material that can be pulled and shaped; textured with other fibres; or coloured with dyes is a journey into the unknown because it will never quite do as it is told. Felt has to be respected and what is produced is always a result of this tension between what the felt maker wants and what the felt is prepared to do.

 

Most recently I have been exploring the internal structures and textures of felt by combining it with light. The density of felt can be varied in the making so that the light output can be shaped and softened to varying degrees. At the same time the felt lends a very particular glowing quality to the light.

 

Felt making is an ancient art springing out of an elemental necessity for warmth and shelter. In our stylish world of shiny surfaces it may appear a little lacking in glamour. It is my aim as a felt maker to demonstrate its many possibilities and show that it still has a place in the modern world.

 

Click here to view more images of Margaret Gosley's work