A pair of Dutch artists dissect vegetables and research elemental dyes in their tiny Eindhoven studio; the results reveal the depth and range of color achievable using pigments derived from beets, cabbage, eggplant, and more.
Daniera ter Haar and Christoph Brach's fascination with the raw dying process has resulted to several installations highlighting the stages of the dying process. Den Haag design shop Edwin Pelser recently commissioned Raw Color , the duo's design firm, to create a series of silk scarves dyed with vegetable pigments. The artists derived the pigments from beets, purple cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, purple heirloom potatoes, and colored bell peppers, which yielded eighteen different vibrant shades. For information on the silk scarves, contact Edwin Pelser for pricing and availability.
N.B.: See photographs of the 70-square-meter Raw Color Studio based in a former factory building called the Klokgebouw.
Above: Three shades of "raw yellow" reveal subtle differences.
Above: The finished silk scarves from the Raw Textile project.
Above: A showcase of color before it is used on paper or textiles from the Liquid Palette installation.
Above: Red beets give way to a range of color from ochre to deep purple.
Above: Silk is submerged in glass jars filled with dye.
Above: Swatches of color reveal a range of colors.