In search of Common golden hue and the lost patterns:
Mapping Materials, techniques and motifs
Proposal to document the use of Color
yellow and lost patterns in Kalamkari
This project proposes to look at the
techniques and processes of extracting natural dyes from local plants and to
look at the methods of imparting color and the patterns that are no longer in
use in Kalamkari Block printing.
When it comes to natural colors, Reds and
blues hold a very significant position. However a wonderful range of yellow and
ochre hues are achieved using some very basic materials such as Harda,
Turmeric, pomegranate peel, Bark of jackfruit tree etc, which do not have high
importance.
The art of block printing and natural
dyeing holds a very high place in textile coloration. Each region differs in
the color obtained based on the natural resources and local indigenous
knowledge. The project will be focusing on documenting the extraction process,
recipe for dyeing and printing and identifying unusual materials that yield the
color yellow and the patterns which are no longer in use and document the same.
