by Karina Rothensteinová Kolčáková

Textile art, fiber art or the very concept of authorial tapestry is essentially a relatively young category that emancipated itself separately during the 20th century and noted the greatest shift seen in the 60s. Until then, textile work was considered to be a discipline of the utmost applied nature. There was a sharp dividing line between the crafter and the design creator, which was mainly a painter, a renowned artist. A weaver or embroiderer just adjusted this draft and adapted it to the reproduction in the given material. This relationship did not develop its further processing options and methods. Socio-historical changes and the development of the industry have changed the situation in the field of textile production. The classic function of tapestries ceased to fulfill its original purpose (thermal insulation, didactic narrative functions, etc.) and artists began to review their relationship with technique, structure, and particularly the material. This has prompted the emergence of authorial tapestry.

The controversy about the inclusion of textile production in the category of fine art and art in general also goes hand in hand with these, at the time and revolutionary changes. Textile artists in interaction with the tendencies of fine art in the context with foreign artwork started to address the medium of textiles in other respects as well. In addition to weaving, there is an intense interest in other techniques, new materials and installation methods. This is already a sign of the retreat of woven tapestries from the field of textile artists; we can almost talk about its end even from today’s perspective. Today textile production is characterized by its ambiguity and postmodern eclecticism, merging the textile of art with fine art and its focus on design.