General updates on the project
Further SEM study (see "microscopy 2") with the sample cut from the wood-fired lid has provided some images that provide novel evidence in support of our current theories regarding the microscopic physical processes that lead to formation of bright red color patches on the surfaces of wood-fired, reduction cooled stoneware clays. After seeing this new… Continue reading microscopy 3
End of season for our first indigo experiment at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm. The farmers are now going to mow down the row to switch to a cover crop; we collected some seeds that had already set and also put some flower stems aside in a bucket of water to see if they'll… Continue reading fresh indigo (the last of)
I think I need some more distance from all this work before writing about the finished installation piece, but here are some photos I took of the intended arrangement of all the parts. The only space I could access to actually assemble everything is in a corner of our house with obstructed camera angles and… Continue reading installation view
Here are some images from my first electron microscopy session with a sample from the July wood firing at Cobb Mountain Art & Ecology Center. These were all acquired using the Magellan Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Stanford Nano Shared Facilities, and the sample is the same one shown in color optical microscopy images… Continue reading microscopy 2
Earlier this week I was fortunate to be able to work with Isaac Fisher, proprietor of Pachyderm Furniture in Fort Bragg, CA to build some wood pieces for my tokonoma installation concept. Here are the technical drawings I prepared and discussed with Isaac in advance: From left-to-right these are a cantilevered frame, platform and pedestal.… Continue reading woodwork
Back in March the good folks over at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm helped me start some indigo seedlings (two trays of 72 each), and then during the COVID shutdown Allison and Will transplanted them to a row out in the garden and tended them all the way to harvest! The photos below show… Continue reading processing plants
In recent weeks, since finishing the textile component of this work, I've had a new idea about how to bring the whole thing together. Last post I mentioned reading about shinto as I had been thinking about framing the entire piece as a sort of small shrine. Now however, wanting to feature the indigo shibori… Continue reading tokonoma
Here it is! Now to try to get it to dry flat and contemplate whether or not to give it a final wash. There's still a bit of loose indigo powder that's rubbing off on my fingers but I'm not sure I want to take the chance of having that migrate too much in a… Continue reading untied/unstitched
Well. Some time has passed since that last post -- for the most part I've been tied up with a lot of writing (mainly for research funding proposals and grant management) and finishing up my winter quarter teaching. Of course we've now been hit (along with the rest of the world) by COVID-19, and here… Continue reading Shelter-in-place
Last weekend I decided to switch up the loom configuration to weave a different pattern. There's still a lot of warp left so I didn't touch anything about the threading, but I had picked this particular threading because it supported a pretty diverse range of patterns with different tie-ups. The re-tie to a new treadling… Continue reading Re-tie
Intermateriality:Redox 