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Ethel Mairet @ Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft
17 September 2016 - 16 April 2017
Dyeing now: contemporary makers celebrate Ethel Mairet’s legacy is an exciting live research project, which brings to life this 100 year old book as they attempt to catalogue every natural dye recipe from Ethel Mairet’s influential publication with the help of artists, craftspeople and students from across the country and beyond.
Ethel Mairet was an enthusiastic teacher, dedicated to ensuring that her lifetime of experimentation with natural dyes and textiles was passed on to future generations.
Today the book is still regarded as the definitive text on natural dyes and it remains an enormously influential text for weavers, natural dye and textile artists. Reflecting both Mairet’s ambition to pass on her knowledge and the book’s continued influence. Contemporary international weavers, artists and dyers were invited to respond to the book in a live research project, creating their own natural dyes based on Mairet’s recipes and advice. Their works are incorporated into the display alongside examples from our collection of Mairet’s dyeing and weaving and all five volumes of the original book.