The Birth of Synthetic Dye

This dress is part of the collection of the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum), produced in France between 1869 and 1870, it is an early example of the use of chemical dyes.

The V&A's catalogue description states:

"Vivid magenta-coloured silk gives this dress a rich and flamboyant appearance. It was probably dyed with one of the new synthetic colours produced from the late 1850s onwards, although intense hues could also be created using natural dyes. The artificial forms of magenta were very popular and a battle for patents began as dyers sought to distinguish their inventions from those of their competitors. In reality many of the dye samples from different manufacturers looked exactly the same, and it was only the exotic names, claims on colourfastness and improved visual quality that set them apart. Other disputes arose over the health risk posed by the wearing and production of garments coloured with synthetic dyes. In the early 1870s a German chemist found traces of arsenic in fabric dyed with magenta, which could leak out in washing, rain or perspiration. There were also reports of serious skin conditions caused by exposure to aniline dyes, and a dye firm in Switzerland was forced to close in 1864 due to arsenic pollution.

Brightly coloured fabrics also led to words of advice from the fashion magazines. The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine of March 1868 recommended that there should be no more than 'two positive colours in a lady's toilet' and that 'very bright tints' should be toned down with white, black or grey to prevent a gaudy appearance. Two shades of the same colour were considered very fashionable, particularly if the trimmings were of a contrasting fabric. (In this example, the difference in colour between the thread and material may have become more evident over time.) Satin bows and pleated bias-cut trimmings complement the ribbed silk of this dress perfectly, while delicate puffs of tulle inserted into the sleeves soften the impact of the dramatic colour. These details reveal the skill of eminent couturiers such as Madame Vignon, the maker of this gown, who was also patronised by the fashionable Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III."

The full entry can be viewed on their website: link


The birth of synthetic dyestuffs is most closely linked to the color mauve and its early discovery and subsequent popularity. The quarterly magazine Cabinet published an excellent article in their 2007/2008 edition by author Shelly Jackson  which discusses little known facts about the origin of the color. The full text can be viewed here (link) It is a highly recommended and fascinating read.

Yayoi Kusama, July 12–September 30, 2012 at the Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney Museum of American Art is holding an exhibition of the work of Yayoi Kusama from July 12-September 30. 

"Well known for her use of dense patterns of polka dots and nets, as well as her intense, large-scale environments, Yayoi Kusama works in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance, and immersive installation. Born in Japan in 1929, Kusama came to the United States in 1957 and quickly found herself at the epicenter of the New York avant-garde. After achieving fame through groundbreaking exhibitions and art “happenings,” she returned to her native country in 1973 and is now one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary artists. This retrospective features works spanning Kusama’s career."-text taken from the Exhibition website

In addition to the exhibition the Museum will be holding two events one of which is-

Obsess, Create, and Repeat: Obsession and the Creative Process 
Thursday, September 13, 2012  7 PM

This roundtable conversation will explore the myths surrounding artistic production and the unique characteristics of extremely creative artists. The panel will discuss the role of obsession, activity, and repetition in contemporary art practice, as illustrated by Yayoi Kusama’s life and work. Participants include artist Janine Antoni, critic and scholar Lyle Rexer, and psychoanalyst Robert Langan.

Further example's of Yayoi Kusama's work can be found on her website: http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html

A direct link to the Whitney's website can be found here.

Looking for a Fall 2012 Fibers and Material Studies course?

Fibers and Material Studies Open Courses Fall 2012

For more information contact: C. Pazia Mannella, pazia@temple.edu

Mixed Media Construction: Structural Embellishment I - 19242 - CRFT 3306 – 001, MW 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm

This course focuses on the stitch as a form of mark-making, exploring surface and structural applications such as embroidery, appliqué and quilting. Image transfers on cloth and free beading will also be explored. Projects will emphasize combining these "traditional" techniques with contemporary art issues and practices.

Soft Sculpture - 16682 - CRFT 3307 - 001, MW 2:40 pm - 5:10 pm

This course examines the transformation of traditional and nontraditional materials to three-dimensional forms, surfaces, and spaces. The exploration of pliable materials will be realized through hand and machine stitching, mark making, embellishment, felting, stuffing, and manipulation of armature. Students are encouraged to develop a personal direction in soft sculptural practice, with emphasis on material investigation and research. Individual and group critiques and discussion of both historic and contemporary artists and concepts augment the course.

Alternative Materials - 6222 - CRFT 3312 – 001, TH 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm

This course involves the exploration of alternative materials not primarily intended or used by fiber artists. Products such as Tyvek, rubber, adhesives, found and recycled materials will be combined with processes such as collage, layering, stitching, and heating. This is a course open for enrollment to majors and non-majors from sophomore to graduate level. The exploration of alternative materials will be used in conjunction with other media and unconventional methods of joining to create a strong, sculptural surface. Technical demonstrations, field trips, and conceptual problems with an emphasis on the process of collecting will be used as a basis for the creation of unconventional work. Students will be encouraged to experiment with these materials and processes in combination with media from other disciplines. Students will create work based on a personal direction discovered through the course. Areas of focus for study include two and three dimensional forms, functional and nonfunctional constructions

Looking for a summer course? We have seats open in the Intro to Fibers class starting this week!

CRFT 2304 - Introduction to Fibers for Non-Tyler BFA Majors

Summer Session II, Mon, July 9 -Sat, August 18: MTWR 4:00PM-6:30PM

This course focuses on the fundamental structural and surface techniques of fibers. Techniques including weaving, surface dyeing, felt making, embroidery, basketry, and basic hand and machine sewing will be introduced. Students will be encouraged to explore their own unique interpretations using alternative and traditional fiber materials to create contemporary works of art. NOTE: This course does not fulfill Tyler BFA requirements. 

For more information contact: C. Pazia Mannella, pazia@temple.edu

Fibers and Material Studies Area Blog: http://tylerfiber.blogspot.com

Information for Current Temple University Students: http://www.temple.edu/summer/currentstudents.html

Temple University welcomes students from other colleges and universities who wish to enroll in courses on any of our campuses.

Information for Visiting/Non-Degree Students: http://www.temple.edu/summer/visitingstudents.html

Woven Structures within Animal Brains

The below article is from the current issue of Smithsonian Magazine. I thought that the woven connection might be interesting to some of our readers as well as the mirroring of science and fiber based structures. Please click on the link to access the original article.

Animal Brains, More Beautiful Than You Could Ever Imagine

More than just eye candy, these images are teaching scientists new insights into how the brain is organized

• By Laura Helmuth
• Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2012,Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Animal-Brains-More-Beautiful-Than-You-Could-Ever-Imagine-160528335.html#ixzz208Uw0x3V

 Neurons in the brain zip messages to one another along long white fibers called axons. Previously scientists traced axon pathways in dissected animal brains, but now they can see the structure of this amazing information superhighway in a living human organ. Using new software with a technique called “diffusion tensor MRI” that tracks water molecules as they move along the axons, Van Wedeen of Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues found that the fibers are arranged in a surprisingly regular 3-D grid. For instance, the red axons in the image converge on the purple pathway at a 90-degree angle. Axons are interwoven like “the warp and weft of a fabric,” the researchers say, with the pattern bent along the brain’s convolutions. “It’s really pretty, all the little loops and folds,” Wedeen says.

The technique Wedeen and colleagues use is called "diffusion spectrum MRI," a variation on an existing technique. By monitoring how water moves along axons and at what angle these brain fibers cross one another, the researchers found a surprisingly geometric pattern. The three-dimensional grid is visible in this detail from a rhesus monkey brain.

This image from a rhesus monkey shows the larger-scale structure of the grid of axons as they swoop and swirl through the convolutions of the primate's brain.