Natural Dyes & Wearable Sculpture

with Joey Quiñones
FIBER 625 001 | 3 credits | $150 Lab Fee
August 11 - 24, 2024

Prior to 1856, all dyes used on textiles came from natural sources. In this course we will explore multiple ways of adding color to cloth, with particular attention paid to patterning created through resist methods such as pastes, waxes, stitching, and binding. As a class we will use cotton and incorporate methods such as printing with mordants. We will also explore the metaphorical components of color and the use of fiber as an act of resistance and self-expression. In this course we will read excerpts from Maggie Nelson's lyric essay, “Bluets” as our meditation on color. The Art and Science of Natural Dyes by Joy Boutrup and Catharine Ellis will provide us technical guidance, and by examining the work of artists such as Pia Camil and Nick Cave we will draw inspiration for our final wearable sculpture project. Screenings will include, "In Conversation: Jim Arendt". Assignments will include a Kanga inspired textile to showcase the use of patterning and layering of natural dyes and a wearable sculpture collaborative project. 

Joey Quiñones is a mixed-media artist who primarily uses fiber and ceramics to explore Afro-Latine identity in a global context. In their fiber work, they use natural dyes, silkscreening, and fiber manipulation to create their figurative sculptures. They have an MFA in Studio Art from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa. Their work has been shown at venues such as the Akron Art Museum, the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati and the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and they have had residences at Vermont Studio Center and Kohler Arts/Industry Program. They currently are the Artist-in-Residence and Head of the Fiber Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Joey Quiñones, Ere Ibeji, 2015, naturally dyed cotton, photosensitive ink, transparencies, 52 x 14 in.