For five days in mid-July jennadawn and I participated as artists in Peristyle Nomade's la boite à médiation variable.  We participated as members of our artist collective, SCRATCH, but sadly our third member, Lauren Osmond, couldn't join us this time 'round.  In the past the three of us had planted a natural dye garden in Articule's garden and later gave a natural dyeing workshop there.  

For this event we proposed that people see our act of sharing knowledge (plant dyeing knowledge) as a performative art installation.  We spent five days in Parc Mederic Martin in Montreal, mostly staying close to our little dye hut (as seen above).  It was three days preparing natural dyes and fabric to be dyed and the last two dyeing cotton, linens and silks with marigold, onion skins, brazilwood, logwood, lavendar, pomegranate, tumeric and more.  Of course I had to have an indigo vat as well, especially since it was my only chance to have one this summer.  On day two we also held a fun natural dyeing and printing workshop.   As part of our mandate to share we offered a pamphlet with natural dyeing directions to anyone passing through and of course to anyone who inquired about the purpose of our being at the park.

There are some some pictures via the Peristyle Nomade facebook page.  Today we hosted dinner.  In the first picture below you can see me making crepes like a mad-woman :)

Below are more photos by LePetitRusse

Over these past few months I've been taking my Anchor/Cradle around the city with me.  Yep, on the metro too.  It has been part of healing process of sorts, where while I carry it I do some personal processing.  Since the Anchor/Cradle is so large and awkward the act of carrying it reminds me to stay focused on the task at hand which is to be continuously introspective (and not to run into anyone (literally)! Which I have. twice.) This is vague I know, partly because it is perhaps too personal and partly because I am still deciding what it means and where it is going.  What I do know is that it has begun to make me kind of sad, so I'm putting the project on hold for a little while.  Maybe in a few months I will want to pick it up again.  For now the Anchor/Cradle sits on my porch where it will soon be consumed by Montreal's winter.  Some rusting should occur on the fabric which I like.

The working title for this project is Fragments of an Anchor/Cradle. Above is some video documentation of one of my walks.

Thanks for stopping by this space :)
Janna