A matter of concentration

Our senses, especially the sense of taste and smell are very sensitive to different concentrations. For example, the amount of sugar we like in our tea or coffee is a matter of concentration. There are many more examples, so we are all familiar with the effect consciously or intuitively in our daily life. It can be the same when we are dealing with mordants

The basic idea that mordant can be prepared in different concentrations came to me a long time ago from one of Michel Garcia videos. In this video he demonstrate how to prepare an Home made Aluminum Acetate in a series of concentrations but only about a year ago I started to take my own steps in this direction to complete and create a variety of options for my printing technique using Tanin blanket as described in one of my previous posts. 

In Garcia's video the series of consternation are created one from the other.

For my needs it was not practical each time I wanted a certain concentration to create the whole series of concentrations to get the one that I want. I needed to find a way to prepare each of the concentrations separately and independently so I had to go back and refresh my memory with  basic chemistry and learn the general concept of solutions and the way they are constructed - from solvent and solute or in simple words - fluid and solid. I must say that in that point I regret not being a good student in chemistry classes in high school because it is really basic knowledge. Anyway, with some help from my friends who have science knowledge and some more reading I got the theory and start to  understand the general concept but still the practise was completely another story and it needed a lot of work of trails and errors.
In the beginning I created seven independent recipes for seven different concentrations of the same mordant and tested them and their results on my fabrics. Later this seven recipes were eliminated to three main recipes. This three will give the most differentiated results from each other.

When you look at the different results of different concentrations the most striking results are the change of the different shades of the background - from light shade background to the darker shade  (I have a pile of printed fabrics with and without natural dyes that I still have to photoshoot and I will do it soon and will present more examples) but playing with those consternations can influence the prints themselves and can create different style and atmosphere to the prints when its come to colours from plants, the depth of Tanin effect from the leaves (besides the blanket) or the intensity of the discharge effects.

It's been already more than a year that I'm practicing this method by myself and in classes and my approach to mordant change completely. I no longer using the method of measuring the mordant ingredients in the way related to 'weight of fabric' but instead I measure it in a relation to the concentration I want to achieve. Then if needed, I can alternate the volume of the solution according to weight of fabric.

The concentrations concept is opening so many possibilities which give many creative tools but also the process by which the fabric is processed in the mordant solved many errors which I had faced.  ALL metals that being used in the mordant (In my work I'm using only iron or both alum+iron together) are completely fixed to the fabric and the fabric can be well rinse afterwards. As opposed to the common method of 'dipping' the fabric in iron bucket for example, right before printing and not fixing it to the fabric as part of the mordant process, in my opinion and experience this method is much more stable and reliable for botanical printing because there no metals that are not fixed and non of the metals is moving freely on the fabric while the bundles being cooked. This is something that in my experience showed that it is a reason for many failures as the blankets could 'steal' the drama from the fabric to themselves.
Now my fabrics are always the one who receives and the blankets are those who give which is how it should be when using a carrier cloth but it isn't always happening  when using the 'dip' method.

It is also amazing to see how the blankets come out from the bundles. Almost totally clean and white and I can use them again immediately without any treatments like cleaning or washing.

As I mention earlier I tested this method already in several of my classes since last year but for not causing confusions to my students I chose only one recipe of one concentration in each class according to the location and the vegetation available and according to the season. My students  practiced this method as part of their learning process of the mordant in the classes themselves and many are already using it regularly in their work. From their feedback they are very happy with it.

Finally and after this long path I feel confident to share my three recipes in one class. All the students I'm going to meet this summer will benefit from it and my old students from last year have all the basic needed to open their own research by themselves.
I'm happy to share the idea of constructions also here as a food for your thought even if it is not possible to describe in writing all the specific details.

Interesting discoveries

Lately I see a lot of hybrid techniques with involved eco print with synthetics dyes.

I guess there is need to more variations of colours and more bright colours which is not easy to achieve with eco print. 

I am not judging anyone and do not pretend to tell the world what is right or wrong. I can only choose my own way and I choose to practise and investigating natural dyes and the possible combination with prints from plants. I'm writing this post to tell and show the results that could achieved with only natural ingredients. 

The last two years I practice natural dyeing in its classical approach. Experimenting with the classic dyes such as Madder, Weld, Indigo, Cochineal, Walnuts, etc... The process involved mordant with alum or iron (depending on the kind of shade I want to get) as a first step and than dye the fabric in solid colour.

After I got some confidence with the dyeing process I wanted to combine my eco print skills with more bright colour as a background. This are two of my first attempts from two years ago.

Irit Dulman

Irit Dulman

The more and more I experiment with the technique, strange  and unexpected results start to appear. Now I can look at this period of experimenting in a positive point of view but it was not easy, it's involved a lot of frustration. I fell and got up and fell again. I checked all possibilities. Printing first and than mordant and dye and the other way around. each way gave different results.

The unexpected surprises was the reactions between the mordant, dyes and the prints the prints. For example, a very bright deep blue print instead of the usual gray-blue from tannin-iron reaction. One day I got a very very unexpected result. The colour of the background in some part of the plant simply disappeared or in dyeing terms, the plants discharge the colour of the background.

Irit Dulman

Irit Dulman

As I progressed through, these results came again and again and I realise that there is something more to explore with was not in my plan in the beginning. I decided to took it to my classes even if the technique was still raw and I did not fully understand what is going on. 

It was AMAZING. So much more possibilities came up during the classes. Colours variation blending with background shade and over-dye which the leaves and discharge prints.

I want to share some of those results by chooseing those who reflect the most this new discoveries.

 Lidija Lazovic Schönig  - The Netherlands ws

Ludmila Maddalena - Uruguay ws

Annamette Andersen - Norway ws

Daniela Henriqson - Uruguay ws

 Corrie Koenen- The Netherlands ws 

 Konni Sswat  - The Netherlands ws

Elisa Suarez - Argentina ws

 Martine Lemmens  - The Netherlands ws

Annie Leynen  - The Netherlands ws

Irit Dulman

Site specific workshop in Moa Oasis

The workshop is filling up quickly.
For more information and registration about the Autumn workshop in Moa Oasis please contact: iritdulman@gmail.com

I'm happy to announce that I will host Adva Drori at the workshop, an artist and art therapist who deals mainly in installation, performance and site-specific works.

Drori will direct an earth-art workshop, and together we will be able to actively experience the creation of a site-specific work of art, which focuses on the site and is inspired by it. In addition, we will get to know well-known artists active in this field.

In the workshop we will work with personal and biographical elements as a source of inspiration, through emotional and psychological introspection.

"For me, creating is first and foremost a means of introspection, and out of the depths within me it enables me to view my surroundings creatively. Through understanding and accepting hidden, secretive parts of myself, which are revealed to me through the creative process, I am also able to accept and understand the Other  which stands before me.  

In my own unique way I combine the personal and the public, and weave tales of action which are intimate and collective at the same time. I invite the viewers to 'roam my soul' and look for the personal cracks which lead to universal truths." 

Adva Drori

Amongst her works and performances are the following: Adva Drori

February 2014 – "Woven Consciousness: Contemporary Textile in Israel"; a group  exhibition at the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel-Aviv. Curator: Irena Gordon

January 2013 – "Girl – the Color Red!" : an installation at the Municipal Gallery Rishon Le Zion, Kenner House. Curator: Effie Gan

May 2011 – "The Silent Kingdom –Adva Drori Weaves a Biography ": performance and installation. The Kibbutz Gallery. Curator: Yael Keiny

September 2008- a performance at the Center for Contemporary Art, Warsaw, Poland.

September 2006 -  "Black Heart" – a performance at the 'Castle of Imagination', an international festival for performance art which took place at Broellin, Germany and Szczecin, Poland. Curtator: Wladyslaw Kazmierczak

July 2006 – performance at the Jyvaskyla Museum of Art and group-exhibition at the Saarijarvi Museum, Finland. Curator: Kari Kotilaine

April 2006 – performance and installation at the "Peace of Art" symposium held at Armsburg, Germany, which was attended by Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and German artists. 

March 2006 – exhibited the documentation of a performance at "Makor" gallery in New-York, as part of an event which focused on Israeli artists. Curators: Dana Tegar and Ofri Kna'ani.

October 2005 – "Assassins", a series of three performances given at 'Private Impact', an international festival for performance art held in Berlin and Zezin, Poland. Curtator: Antoni Karwowski.

June 2005 – "Women in Black", performance and exhibition at the  Karlskrona Konsthall, Karlskrona, Sweden. Curator: Torun Ekstrand.

June 2005 – "Sewn in the Gut" : performance/installation as part of the group exhibition "Communal Sleeping" at the Helena Rubinstein pavilion, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art. Curator: Tali Tamir.

August 2004 – "Dusza": a series of three performances at the 'Castle of Imagination' festival for performance art in Poland. Curator: Wladyslaw Kazmierczak.

April 2004 – "Soul": a performance given in Abu-Dis, next to the wall of partition as part of the event  'An Opening in the Wall' organized by Artist Without Borders.

November 2003 – "Fairies" a performance given on the beach in Tel-Aviv as part of 'Blurr 4'- the International Biennale for Performance Art. Curator: Sergio Edelstein.

January 2003 – "Sleep On, Valley" a performance and installation at the water tower at the Gallery for Commemoration, Kiryat Tivon, Israel.

July 2002 – "The Last Speech", performance at the Um El -Fahem Gallery, as part of the group exhibition "Believe the Day Will Come".

For additional information:

For additional information: Adva Drori

Working with brushes

Lately I'm busy with something completely different. I'm trying to get more and more control with my prints. I know that in this area, control is considered a bad thing but I do not see anything wrong with trying to expand the boundaries.

I work with a palette of iron at different concentrations and with brushes I'm painting the leaves as I want and in this way I can choose what effect I will get with the same leaves. 

I discover a whole new world.  

It just make it so clear even while applying the iron which leaves are very sensitive to iron and can easily become very dark and how to control it in case I don't want the dark effect or which leaves resisting the iron and if you want any effect you really need to apply strong solution.

Which part of the leaf is sensitive and which part is not.

To which part of the leaf to apply the iron to get different effects. for example, only contours, more natural effect or more graphic effect, etc...

What is also nice is that my background stay almost clean from the iron. Which mean, if I want to dye the background with madder for example, the iron will not effect the purity of the madder shade.

So yes... I'm loosing spontaneity in my work with such a technique but I know I will find the balance again in the future.

For now, I'm very much into it and it is fascinating.

Time Flies Like an Arrow;

Fruit Flies Like Bananas;

Why? 
just like that! 

because I don't have something more cleaver to say and I want to wish you all -

AN HAPPY NEW YEAR.

A new felt coat (to warm me up in this winter that refuse to arrive), printed with Casuarina and dyed with Indigo.

The pillar of salt fantasy

I'm not sure if I ever mention this. But my work is never complete without the photo shoot. 

Many time it is gives the right meaning to the work. I love to do it with Idan. He understand me and my work perfectly and know how to get the best of it and I, love very much to change characters. To be someone else for a moment - to fantasise, to live on a different time, in different places.

For a very long time I wanted to take photos in the Dead Sea but I did not have the right work for this surrounding until recently. 

We went there last week. Such a short drive and the atmosphere is so completely different. The landscape reminiscent the story of creation in Genesis. My head and my imagination immediately begin to work and the story of Genesis and also the story of lot's wife who looked back and turned to salt was playing in my head like a music.

And this is what we created. With water, wool, plants, fire, camera and the beautiful surrounding of one of the wonders in the world - The Dead Sea.

Hope you enjoy it. Take a moment and fantasise yourself. Your day can be completely different :)