Cochineal Collaboration
Louise Eastman
Janis Stemmermann
With a bag of cochineal Louise brought back from a trip to Mexico, the insects ground up and simmering in a pot, we began experimenting dyeing and printing in the studio. Starting off with dyeing yarn every shade of red and then repeating the circle square motif from Louise’s clay tiles, we printed on felt, silk and and wool gauze. Cochineal, the tiny bug that feeds on the Nopal cactus, has been cultivated in Mexico for centuries, exported by the Spanish to create the classic red colors we know today in a wide variety of cultures. The results of our April 2015 collaboration are series of one-of-a-kind pillows, scarves and a knitted blanket.
Collaboration Products
Installation
Louise Eastman Tiles
