#rust dyeing

SPECIMEN (2019)

Specimen explores the subject of decay by drawing parallels between the organic rust marks on paper and bacterial growth in a petri dish. Not only are there similarities visually, but the spread and multiplication of bacteria is reminiscent of the way decay (represented here by rust) slowly spreads and takes over.

Specimen is a back-to-back accordion-fold book, constructed from two concertinas (one rusted dyed with tea, the other black paper with cut-out windows) that are stitched together, with black thread, in the valleys. The cover boards are covered with tea and rust dyed paper and it is completed with a removeable cover made from black card with a window cut out and a ribbon to tie closed.

I'm trying to figure out what copper rust looks like on different types/colors of fabric, and I'd love some help! So far I've only found Iron rust as a dye online, and I've had no luck finding out if copper rust can even dye fabric (I assume it can).

If you've done rust dyeing with copper before, please let me know how that worked for you!

I'd especially like to know how it looks on linen, cotton, and denim, and how it interacts with darker colors, but any information or visual aid is helpful!

stitch meditation 22

stitch meditation 5

OVER TIME (2019)

Over Time explores the progression of decay (represented here as rust), but in reverse. The book begins with heavily rusted paper, but as it continues, the pages become less rusted until the last page where the marks are very feint. Much of my work is concerned with the decaying of our world, but in Over Time I explore what the reversing of that decay might look like.

The pages of the book are rust dyed with vinegar. The paper has been folded to create valleys, which are then stitched by machine on the mountain folds to form a concertina. The cover is bleached black cotton.