from the editor
CAN EMBROIDERY BE ART? WHAT IS ART ANYWAY? The meaning of this short, but controversial, word has, in fact, changed significantly over the centuries. Up until the 1600s it referred to ‘skill; its display, application or expression’, but after this time, when aesthetic considerations became paramount, it came to mean ‘the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting, drawing, or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.’ Oxford English Dictionary Its meaning and the validity of its application will always be a point of contention, best left to those with the energy and wisdom to argue the point, but for an embroidery, there is certainly potential for both meanings to be applied. While some embroidery may not…