Blue
Sometimes, through life’s synchronicities, a color gains almost magical significance, appearing in small yet profound moments.
Blue captivated me over a decade ago. For an entire year, I painted exclusively with electric blue pigment—my blue phase. In my abstract paintings, I sought to capture the luminosity of the color in its pure pigment form.
A year later, during a trip to Morocco, I was mesmerized by the blue indigo Tagelmusts worn by the Tuareg. In the Maghreb, blue is widely used, symbolizing protection and purity, often associated with the divine. In the Torah, God instructs Moses to weave a tallit with a blue cord as a reminder of divine commandments.
Years after that trip, I participated in an art residency where I aimed to use only natural materials. I had begun working with mineral pigments but faced a challenge when seeking a natural blue.
Initially, I considered extracting it from stones. Ancient cultures, like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, used lapis lazuli and malachite for ritual objects. Lapis lazuli was the color of pharaonic royalty, possibly the origin of the term “blue blood.” Artists throughout history prized it for its rarity and cost, dubbing it “blue gold.”
My search led me to the Indigofera genus, plants containing the pigment indigotin. Extracting indigo is complex, requiring fermentation and reduction to alter the pigment’s molecular state. Once exposed to air and light, oxidation occurs, allowing the pigment to adhere to surfaces or form usable color.
In the Iberian Peninsula, Isatis tinctoria (woad) was traditionally cultivated for blue dye. Woad balls were sold to dye fabrics.
Soon, it will be planting season, and I’m eager to grow it at Symbiotic Colours after a failed attempt last year. A friend, María, sent me some seeds to try again.
Stay tuned for updates on this blue adventure.
Symbiotic hugs,
Electric Blue, Indigo Blue, Morocco Blue and Red Cabagge Blue.
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