Chris Bentley
Collecting and studying natural objects is my lifelong fascination, and has provided the inspiration for this work with botanical printing and natural dyeing. A glimpse into the rich history of humans’ use of color has led me to research historical dyeing methods as I investigate the question: what colors can be derived solely from natural sources, with no use of synthetic, industrially-produced pigments?
In pursuit of answers to this question, I became aware of the extensive environmental damage created by our attraction to color, particularly through the dyeing of garments, and the harmful ubiquity of petroleum-based textiles. Alarmed by the trail of toxicity left by fast fashion and synthetic color, I’ve turned to bio-based fabrics and pigments, and discovered a vast field of learning, exploration, and beauty.
Botanical printing combines historical methods used in natural dyeing with contact print techniques. The images and colors come only from natural plant pigments and earth minerals, resulting in unique plant portraits, often unexpected, always intriguing.
The process
All materials resulting from this process can be returned to the earth with no toxic footprint. Garments and fabrics selected for printing are produced by sustainable methods, and are sometimes upcycled thrift store finds. Textiles are silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, or linen. Creating this art is the result of several steps, including:
Gather and preserve leaves and plant materials
Scour the fabric to remove impurities and prepare for dyeing
Mordant fabric with solutions of tannins, iron, alum, or copper
Prepare dye baths using dyestuffs derived from natural sources
Pre-dye fabric, sometimes more than once to achieve the desired shade
Arrange plant materials on the fabric
Roll and tightly bind plant/fabric layers on cylinders, or compress between tiles
Steam or simmer bound plant/fabric bundles
Unwrap, the most exciting part
Post-dye or post-mordant fabric, if needed, for desired final result
Wash gently and press
In pursuit of answers to this question, I became aware of the extensive environmental damage created by our attraction to color, particularly through the dyeing of garments, and the harmful ubiquity of petroleum-based textiles. Alarmed by the trail of toxicity left by fast fashion and synthetic color, I’ve turned to bio-based fabrics and pigments, and discovered a vast field of learning, exploration, and beauty.
Botanical printing combines historical methods used in natural dyeing with contact print techniques. The images and colors come only from natural plant pigments and earth minerals, resulting in unique plant portraits, often unexpected, always intriguing.
The process
All materials resulting from this process can be returned to the earth with no toxic footprint. Garments and fabrics selected for printing are produced by sustainable methods, and are sometimes upcycled thrift store finds. Textiles are silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, or linen. Creating this art is the result of several steps, including:
Gather and preserve leaves and plant materials
Scour the fabric to remove impurities and prepare for dyeing
Mordant fabric with solutions of tannins, iron, alum, or copper
Prepare dye baths using dyestuffs derived from natural sources
Pre-dye fabric, sometimes more than once to achieve the desired shade
Arrange plant materials on the fabric
Roll and tightly bind plant/fabric layers on cylinders, or compress between tiles
Steam or simmer bound plant/fabric bundles
Unwrap, the most exciting part
Post-dye or post-mordant fabric, if needed, for desired final result
Wash gently and press
