Indigo & Textile Artist Arianne King Comer discusses the traditions & heritage of indigo dyeing:ymib: What exactly are the traditions of the West African organic indigo dye proccess, and what makes it organic?

Arianne: The traditions of West African organic indigo dyeing process is that the leaf of indigo produces the natural blue color with the fermintation process. That process is a spiritual honoring from nature that honors ancestry.

Arianne: I have always been attracted to bllue. Some one made the observation that perhaps it was the calming affect of my leaving nearthe ocean in Va. Beach, VA where sky and water met in my childhood that was my callling. My interest in indigo dyeing was tweeked at Cranbrook where I meet this talented weaver named Elizabeth from Vermont. She had studied all countries that do art from indigo so she had an enormous awareness of the impact of indigo from those countries. The most facinating part of my travels was that the city of Oshogbo and out landing areas were dedicated to honoring ancestry through all the arts. The most memorable part was how accepting and connected I felt being with such creative and dedicated artist.

ymib: What are some of the ancient traditional uses/meanings for indigo and what did it represent to the people of Africa?

Arianne: In their art work or in their traditional clothing Indigo dye was the ast color used instead of black.

Arianne: For me there are no challenges in working with indigo. I am totally committed to the concept of indigo. Indigo is my spiritual journey. I feel I was called to be a vehicle to the history and the impowerment of the tradition. The tradition is in so many cultures around the world.

Arianne: Read up on the history of indigo and its journey in cross cultures, it's fascinating.

Arianne: Indigo as in ancient countries as in Greek Mythology, Japanese, Chinese, the eastern cultures doen through African, Soth Ameriica was based on the knowledge of organic indigo. Americas influence has the reference to priducing indigo through methods of enslavement and creating financial gain for the colonies that through this state of being created financial gains to statehood.

Arianne: Because through the awareness of the process in West Africa, the Carribeans, the Orient, African American are derived from a powerful source of empowerment in our history that we are generally unaware of.

Arianne: Well even going back to just the idea of expressing crativity with such an old ancestrial traditional technique is a symbol in itself. Then as far as patterns, the idea of shibori patterns, adire technigue using cassava paste with a chicken feather to create traditional patterns or in batik is meaningful. Then birds, spirals, lizards, scorpians, sundails crescent moons, stars, flowers. leaves have significants in multi cultures. I've observed that throught the years.

Arianne: "With YOU, I create", and "Let there be PEACE on earth, and let it begin with me."