Statement 2010
I was introduced to traditional Zapotec dyeing techniques by weavers in the ancient community of Teotitlan del Valle, a small mountain village on the outskirts of Oaxaca, MX, that is world renowned for the production of colorful weavings or laadi.
Weavers in Teotilan del Valle have relied on natural materials such as marigold, indigo, cochinilla, and tree moss to create their art for more than 2500 years. My ongoing fascination with process, color, and the natural world was piqued by their use of mordants such as lime, alum, and cal mixed into the dyes of wild flowers, roots and insects to trigger a chemical reaction that alters the hue and value of the dye color. Because water is the basis for these dyes, silver leaf is included on these paintings to underscore the area's ongoing struggle with heavy mining interests and the subsequent contamination of local water supplies. Further investigation reveals that the majority of local weavers currently use chemical dyes rather than the more expensive, process intensive natural dyes furthering the damage to the water supply.
I used my small camper as a laboratory/studio for boiling, mashing, dipping, dripping, and layering these color experiments. The resulting paintings are titled after the women who welcomed me into their community, explained the modern dilemmas with traditional dyeing techniques, and taught me their age old craft.
Elisabeth Setten
Teotitlan del Valle, Mexico
2010
