It is summer and time for a change of pace, travel to exotic places, and adventure. Depending on where you are in the world, it may just be time to find a cool place to get out of the sun and heat, whether in an air conditioned movie theater, in deep shade with a good book, or in a swimming pool. Another option is to pop some corn and watch a movie in the coolest room in the house. I especially like to watch films where plants are the movie stars (and we've seen some interesting ones over the years).
This summer I'm watching another documentary by Maiwa Productions, In Search of Lost Colour: The Story of Natural Dyes. It has everything a summer movie should have - change of pace, travel, adventure, exploration; and plants are definitely the main stars. The film documents the range of color sources, extraction processes, and dyeing techniques that are found around the world. One hundred fifty years ago everything was dyed naturally, and then synthetic dyes took their place. This film goes searching for lost colors and natural dyeing processes around the world. Let's join the expedition!
In Search of Lost Colours is packed with information, fascinating interviews, beautiful photography, and inspiration. The introduction describes the ancient history of natural dyeing, the emergence of synthetic dyeing, and the revival of interest in natural dyeing. Also described are the basics of fabric and fiber, the processes of scouring and mordanting, and the techniques for harvesting and extracting color. The film then explores dye sources by colors: the reds, blues, shellfish purple, the yellows and oranges, browns, and blacks and gray. Sprinkled throughout are samples of beautiful fabric that have been woven or block printed or overdyed or treated with various processes. The burnished cotton dyed with indigo was especially intriguing.
Also included are interviews with artisans and footage of them working in their studios or outdoors (often in places where generations of families have dyed and worked). Some excellent books are cited such as A Perfect Red (Amy Butler Greenfield), The Root of Wild Madder (Brian Murphy), The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use (J.N. Liles), and Koekboya: Natural Dyes and Textiles, A Colour Journey from Turkey to India and Beyond (Dr. Harald Bohmer).
It was satisfying to see how many of the dyes I've already tried (cochineal, indigo, weld, logwood, walnut, marigold, and madder to name a few) and inspiring to see there is so much more to try! Woad, cutch and osage orange come to mind, as do the processes of ikat twisting and block printing, and more experimentation with mordants and fabrics. I also appreciated learning about how devastating synthetic dyes are on the planet, and the vision for a future where natural dyeing replaces synthetic dyeing. There are some challenges to overcome and mindsets to change, but it is a worthy goal. I recommend this documentary to anyone interested in learning more about the history, traditions, techniques of natural dyeing.
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