Just What is an 'Art' Quilt Anyway?

What exactly is an art quilt? Have you ever wondered what it is that makes one quilt a plain quilt and another quilt an art quilt? I have and I think there are other curious people who have wondered the same thing. So I thought of doing some research and looking around to find an answer.

I began with basic definitions.

art

¹

[ ärt ]

NOUN

1. the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power:
   "the art of the Renaissance"
   synonyms: fine art · artwork
2. (the arts)
   the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance:
   "the visual arts"

Powered by OxfordDictionaries · © Oxford University Press

                                                                             

quilt

[ kwilt ]

NOUN

a warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place by lines of stitching, typically applied in a decorative design.
synonyms: duvet · cover(s) · coverlet · comforter · bedspread · counterpane

VERB

join together (layers of fabric or padding) with lines of stitching to form a bed covering or a warm garment, or for decorative effect.

Powered by OxfordDictionaries · © Oxford University Press

It seems to me that skill and imagination are important ideas in defining art, let's not leave out beauty.

Just where does quilting and art intersect? Is it in the eye of the beholder? Are there universal ideas to keep in focus to help us as individuals decide for ourselves. That's a brave thought isn't it?

With that in mind I'm off to explore to find some examples of skill, imagination and beauty in quilting.

Check in soon for more as we look at 'Just what is an 'art' quilt anyway?