Info
Interview with Chloe Scadding, a practitioner from Ireland.
What craft do you work with?
I am currently working with natural dyes on textiles. I have a particular interest in exploring how we can aid better connection, understanding and appreciation of our natural world through the use of creative arts and I find that botanical colour provides a great way to do this, connecting us to our local landscape and plant life through the joy of colour.
I worked for many years as a freelance designer in the textile industry during which I became increasingly concerned with the disconnect between design production, our relationship with material goods and our natural world. In reaction to this my focus has been shifting towards practices which honour traditional skills and an enquiry into how we can utilise these for a more sustainable future.
What are your inspirations?
I take great inspiration from walking in various landscapes. I like to explore places and ideas on foot. I am also very interested in indigenous knowledge and traditions and how we can learn from this wealth of wisdom.
Last year I was able to learn from various craftspeople across the UK and I found their knowledge and generous natures very inspiring. I am increasingly interested in exploring crafts which have the capacity to be regenerative through the method in which the materials are grown and harvested, creating habitats for wildlife rather than destroying them.
How do you initiate your creative process?
Historically my work has tended to utilise a range of personally developed, hand crafted processes in which the material often dictates the technique’s used. This is especially the case when working with plant dyes. The season, availability and growing conditions all play a big part in what colour you may achieve and for me, this is part of its beauty.
How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?
I consider the outdoor landscape to be just as much my workspace as the indoor workshop I may be using, gathering plant material is my favourite part of working with natural dyes. For this, my rucksack often contains gloves and secateurs and various bags for collecting foraged plants. Large dye pans are a must and a digital thermometer is also a very handy tool when dyeing, helping to ensure you are using the correct temperatures to either prepare fibres and work with dye baths effectively.
Are there new techniques or craft practices you would like to try or collaborate with?
There are so many! I really enjoy working with wood, willow basketry, rush weaving and I would like to learn about natural cordage making. Last year I collaborated on a large piece of furniture for a new community arts space in Paisley, for which I foraged dye plants from the Scottish landscape, colouring durable cordage and creating a woven bench seat around a frame constructed from locally sourced oak. The natural colour and its origins created a surrounding narrative beyond the bench itself, providing an opportunity to engage its users with the possibilities of plant colour. I would like to collaborate on more pieces which showcase traditional skills in this way.
I am also interested in exploring quilting and how I could combine naturally dyed cloth with this important folk tradition of storytelling.
What have you learnt that you would like to share with fellow crafters?
Working in a creative profession can be very consuming and it is important to learn how to strike the right balance with work and rest in order to sustain yourself and your practice in a healthy way.
How would you like your practice to develop and what are your plans for the future?
Following this residency I will be exploring plant colour on various trips across Europe. And later this year I will be assisting on a project in Glasgow which aims to help young people connect with the built heritage and plant life of their local area through a programme of craft workshops and creative projects, culminating in an exhibition and film.
I feel passionately about utilising craft as a method for creating more sustainable futures and as a way to engage with a wider audience. The colours we surround ourselves within our environment affect our experience of a place and play an important part of our sense of being within a space. As crafts people we have the opportunity to affect how others interact and engage with the world around them and the art of plant dyes can assist with this. I am most interested in how we can foster a better connection and therefor respect of our natural world through this use of craft and traditional skills. As my practice continues, my hope is that this can be at the forefront of how I work.
