Indigo is used worldwide. The dye vat can take many different forms – from deep ceramic vessels to concrete tanks, from enamelled baths to plastic buckets. In her work, Hand Block Printing and Resist Dyeing (1985), Susan Bosence presents a graphic description of indigo dyeing in her workshop. 

In my work, indigo is rarely a stand-alone process. It is invariably a layer in the mix – sometimes the starting point, and other times a mid-tone or a final intense darkness – testing and determining its effect over synthetic dye and printed discharge. 

Indigo is unique. It is a substance that requires observation and judgement as the colour builds. There is constant questioning… ‘How long should I immerse the cloth?’, ‘Shall I stop or dip again?’, ‘How much colour will be left when the residue is washed away?’.   

Photographer: Ed Brydon