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When the dye is truly cast
by Elizabeth Kerfoot26/ 1/2007
JEANS - we all wear them, but have you ever wondered about the
history of your favourite strides? A major touring exhibition hits
The Whitworth Art Gallery this week, intending to unravel the
mystery of denim.
Indigo, A Blue To Dye For is a survey of the world's oldest and
most distinctive pigment, believed in many cultures to possess
alluring talismanic properties.
So, next time you spend a day searching for the perfect jeans,
don't feel bad - you're progressing an important cosmic trend. Try
that line on your bank manager.
Indigo, A Blue To Dye For explores the universality of indigo,
showing textiles and clothing from China, Japan, Thailand, Nigeria,
Senegal, India, Indonesia, Yemen, Egypt, Oman and Syria.
As well as featuring one of the earliest pairs of jeans, the
exhibition spans Roman burial cloths and 16th century imports of
clothes dyed in India for the European market.
Denim's cult status is explored with garments, advertising
materials and movie stills from the Levi Strauss archive and
there's a peep at denim's haute couture and high street
credentials.
Jennifer Harris, curator of textiles at the Whitworth Art Gallery,
says: "The great thing about this exhibition is the range across
craft, design, art and fashion.
"We've never done a show that's brought so many different things
together - we've even got objects from the British Museum and the
British Library. You really get to travel the world with this show
because there isn't a bit of the globe where people don't wear
denim or jeans."
The exhibition, which took six years to create, also showcases the
work of contemporary craftspeople from the UK, Japan, India,
Bangladesh and West Africa.
Expect massive dye balls, dye sampling, botanical drawings and
footage of cloth dyeing rituals from all over the world. The kids
will be kept busy with hands-on textile workshops and dressing
up.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of the exhibition will be
examples of indigo as a medium for fine artists - wall hangings and
intricate paintings created with indigo dye.
Jennifer points out the cultural element of the exhibition: "The
way the work is presented is very resonant of Britain's
relationship with India and speaks volumes about Britain's colonial
past."
And Jennifer's tips for what not to miss? "A 600 BC Babylonian
tablet bearing a recipe for indigo dye, the digitally-printed Issey
Miyake jeans and the 19th century Japanese quilted fireman's
suit."
Indigo, A Blue To Dye For is at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford
Road. Manchester, until Sunday, April 15.
Admission is free. Call 0161 2757450 for more information.
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