Nicola Moody

Exploring the language of textiles and how different techniques can be used to translate experiences and narratives, is a fundamental part of my practice.  I enjoy the challenge of taking difficult to express stories and developing ways that they can be told through textile art. These experiences can range from personal narratives to walking in the countryside.
 
My aim is to find ways of expressing the encounters; creating works of art that are made after the event by referencing the experience. My chosen medium is textiles and increasingly this has become the specific discipline of weaving. It is within the act of weaving and the choices made that relate to scale, materials, pattern, colour and techniques that I seek to express elements of the stories that have become more dominant.
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The importance of textiles and the use of weaving for warmth, shelter and decoration are prevalent throughout history. The English language has numerous words and phrases that reference the textile industry. Today we continue to talk about "weaving ideas together", "connecting threads" or "getting tied in knots"
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Working with textiles causes me to reflect on and draw out the specifics of the encounter. Whilst weaving I enjoy moving within the grid structure. I enjoy the rhythm of repetition. I enjoy the preparation and the intimacy that is inevitable as every piece of yarn is touched and positioned. I enjoy the intuition that is necessary to create cloth. It is within these experiences that I make art. What I make references stories but also speaks of the materials that I work with and come to know through the physical act of making 
 
There is much to be explored and I feel that I am beginning to understand how to speak in the literal language of textiles and communicate through the rich tapestry that is textile art.