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in my studio i use indigo textiles as my pallet. this has become a rare commodity in more recent times. since bayer discovered that he could chemically synthesise this dye in 1890 and aniline dye became de rigeur, plant indigo dyes are made with love rather than pragmatism. this introduces a special energy into the fabric natural indigo is perhaps the oldest dye known to man. the oldest historic texts speak of it, as in the colors chosen for the tabernacle of the arc of the covenant. the oldest fragments of cloth are dyed with it. it is a dye known to all cultures of the world. natural indigo is one of the fastest dyes known to man. it was the original dye of the "levi's" blue jeans, a trademark color for durability. it is the only natural blue dye of permanence. natural indigo is dyed in a manner different than any other dye. most natural dyes are affixed with a metallic salt, in a two-step process. natural indigo is fermented, then dyed in a process that affixes the indigo as it oxid