MATERIALS TAXONOMY

Local Color roots its research in a holistic approach, where concepts of multiplicity and biodiversity are key. The same approach is used when looking at material resources – because after all, color is everywhere, and yet its nowhere the same. In terms of natural dye sources, which are often looking at solely plants and animals, local color advocates for a broader view of color, ranging through 6 natural domains:

Animal, bacterial, botanical, composite, fungal and mineral.

Each of the six domains encompasses a wide variety of dye and color sources, ranging from extremely light and wash fast, to more ephemeral ones. Strategies concerning color fastness on fibers are addressed more in depth through a variety of routes for implementing color in the processes section.

Animal

Animal dyes have a rich past of use, yet today, they tend to receive some critical looks and lift some eyebrows when mentioned. Today they are still implemented in many processes, often hidden in fine prints between the ingredients of drinks, foods (such as natural red, E120) and cosmetics.

When looking at animal dyes, we speak most often about insects – but not exclusively – from the famous cochineal (dactylopius coccus) , to the indian stick insect lac (kerria lacca), or the kermes.
It also covers ancient dye sources such as purpurissum, coming from the murex family of mollusks, another highly appreciated dye of the past, this one has fortunately ceased to be collected, since it had brought the mollusk to near extinction.

Nowadays the most famous insect varieties are all known to be from northern tropical to sub-tropicsal zones/ areas, from mexico to india. But a few notions remain of other varieties, that seem to have long disappeared, such as the polish cocchineal – porphyrophora.
These insects all have in common the feeding on the chlorophyll of plants, have ingenious hiding mechanisms, are extremely small in size, while providing some of the most incredible and stable sources of pinks, reds, oranges and purples.

Local color does not focus on the collection of this animal dye matter, it acknowledges their historical importance and most of all admires how people throughout history have been able to see the unseen – exploring miniscule insects, as a source of potent and precious color.

Bacterial

Bacterial dyes are one of the fittest natural dyes to be grown at city scale, becoming an important candidate for local color, given that all you need is a biolab, and they are space-intensive than other sources.
When deep diving in coloring and staining species of bacteria, we see Janthinobacterium Lividum (violacein) and Serratia Marcenscens (prodigiosin), as well as E.coli variations and Vogesella Indigofera as potential stable resources for dyes. In terms of general color producers, many other bacteria are eligible – such as micrococcus luteus, various atrobacters, and xxx.
A few sporrelating bacteria produce dual coloring results – such as (name).

Even though only recently they gained the much deserved attention for potential use and implementation as natural dye sources – since the 1980s we find plenty of literature and studies from the fields of microbiology. Bacterial action is something that often goes unnoticed – but the expert dyer is well aware that bacteria, form much of the living processes of vat dyes through fermentation and oxidation.

Local color builds upon a long lasting research on bacterial dyes, initiated at Waag’s TextileLab Amsterdam by Cecilia Raspanti in 2015 with the BioShades project, to which multiple other researchers contributed and was part of TCBL.eu project. Read more about the bacterial processes in our bioshades.bio website or explore how these processes differ from traditional mordant dyes in our processes maps.

Botanical

The largest and most known source of color of the natural dye domains, one that is tightly connected to the different locations and soil compositions of our planet, but that has travelled across the globe throughout the centuries – adapting, conquering, supporting the use and extraction of natural dyes.

When looking at botanical dyes – the whole range of plant matters / parts is included and offer a sub-taxonomy organisation on their own:
Seeds, roots, plants, leaves, flowers, fruits, nuts, barks, woods

Each part of a plant is able to produce some color, in different proportion and quantities, becoming useful or superfluous to the practising dyer.

Botanicals all together offer one of the largest natural chromatic scales known to us and explored during the history of human kind. Earliest traces of their use range from upper-paleolithic findings (Dudzuana caves, Georgia, 2009), to the incredible depths of teals and turquoises from the Mayans (with the Maya blue pigments), passing by the expert early Egyptians that showed great chemistry knowledge in their papyri (such as in the Stockholm and Leiden Papyri). More generally botanicals formed one of the strongest industries in Europe till the second half of 1800s, when the advent of cheap aniline dyes completely changed the market value.

Throughout history an infinite number of understandings and misunderstandings form the pathway towards the way we use and analyse the value of botanical dye matter today.

Composites

Composites are one of least implemented and acknowledge dye matter domains, comprised mainly of lichens and other peculiar forms of matter such as oak galls. Composites represent a strategic relationship between multiple organisms. Defined as such largely because of the symbiotic relation that emerges from either algae or bacteria when meeting with fungi to form a composite; or a wasp and its oak tree to form various types of oak galls.

Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture

— Trevor Goward[43]

In the study of sciences, lichens are currently classified together with fungi, as they one of the two components present in a lichen. Within this project we acknowledge them as a source of color representing multiplicity of life and symbiotic relations that are mutually beneficial for two distinct species, the fungi and the algae involved.Lichens were not used by most of the historically famous dyers, from whom we are able to read recipes and strategies. They were gathered and used by craftspeople – especially in northern Europe – therefore used in smaller quantities, often for specific color-pattern identification by families, clans or groups of individuals.

Oak galls are formed when a specific combination of wasp and type of oak tree come together, the wasp lays her eggs in the twigs or acorns, and in reaction the tree crafts a “ball” extremely rich in tannins as coping mechanism. The process of oak galls formation often inhibits the fruiting productivity of the tree. These “galls” are used for tanning of cellulose-based fibers in combination with an aluminium mordant, or are used in combination with iron mordants to create the finest writing inks or black and grey prints on textiles.

Local color does not focus in depth on the collection of lichens as dye matter, it acknowledges their less known of historical importance and highlights their potential as a form of color in slow paced processes. Local color focuses instead of all sources of oak galls in our city, given that the varieties found are many and often overlooked or not seen by many.

Fungal 

Fungal dyes are another typology of dye that only recently was understood to have greater historical importance than initially suspected. Great researchers such as Miriam Rice starting already in the 60’s provide a clear overview of the infinitely colourful possibilities of mushroom dyes. Many recent dye research papers about the subject have been published and the extraction and implementation processes have an interesting appeal, which is that their processing resembles more closely the industrial processes for dyeing.

Local color has the aim of experimenting with fungal dyes, yet acknowledges that certain varieties are lab grown and more easily accessible, while others are not included given their non-abundant presence in the urban setting.

Mineral

Mineral colors are the oldest form ever used by humanity to leave a mark or impression of their existence. From the famous “Cueva de las manos” in Argentina, dating back to early 7300 BC, to the older Lascaux Caves with their Palaeolithic paintings, minerals colors have shown their close impact on humanity. When we look at mineral dyes, brown and yellows are expected, yet minerals and ochers come in a large variety colors, including green and grey-blues. When we combine clays with organic pigments, such as indigo, even a vaster range comes to life – through the process of sublimation, Maya blues are achieved.

In terms of dye potential, these are often bound to textiles and fibers through proteins and enzymes, such as in the traditional japanese techniques of “bengala dyes” or through the simple use of soy binding processes as shown in the processes section.

Most often when looking at mineral colors within Local color, we observe the work of staining clays, oxide rich soils, ochers.