On the Grootstal Estate on the outskirts of Nijmegen, I’m working a piece of land the size of my studio, with exactly the same dimensions. As part of my research into natural, colour-fast dyeing methods, I’m sowing marigolds and woad: flowers that appear yellow to human eyes but are perceived as ultraviolet blue by insects. By the end of the summer, the flowers and thus the dyes will be ready to harvest. Through the dyeing process, the yellow woad produces a bright blue colour. As an artist, I’m interested in the shift of perspective through perception. With the field as my temporary studio, I investigate this shift by working the soil and processing plants to create dyes. THE BLUE CARPET is being developed in the run-up to my solo exhibition ·r·e·s·p·o·n·g·e· at De Fabriek, an artists’ initiative in Eindhoven (September 2022).
Thank you: Kien van Hövell tot Westerflier, Landgoed Grootstal, Wouter Engelbart (fellow gardener) & Zonnejard (planting advice).