COLOUR PROVENANCE
THE RECIPE BOOK
Laura Daza
photography Laura Daza
TABLE OF CONTENTS 08
The Recipe Book
10
Introduction
11
Abstract
12
Research
17
Colour Timeline
19
Iconic Colours
21
Saffron
33
Azurite
43
Lamp Black
51
Malachite
59
Mummy Brown
67
Ochre
77
Verdigris
85
Whiteshell
94
Poporo vessels
98
Acknowledgements
99
Bibliography
THE COLOUR MAKER
photography KKGAS
THE RECIPE BOOK
The DIY ‘Colour Recipe Book’ is a useful handbook for you to have and make colours at home. It compiles and highlights 8 ancient colours; its history, timeline, origin, process, recipes and pigment containers. The recipe book will show you key tools, secrets and my experience recreating these colours. Inspired by historic recipes for making colour such as Cennino Cennini’s recipe book and using the basic elements of alchemy such as fire, air, water and earth; I transformed raw materials into the magic of colour pigments. I created my own version of the colour recipes with the ingredients and the guide for replicating them. ‘Colour Provenance’ will take you through a fascinating journey into the past to help us look into the future. ‘Poporo’ is a collection of bespoke vessels to contain the colour pigment and remind us about the importance of colour and be able to keep them for future generations. This handbook is intended for colour experts, colour amateurs or any person interested in experimenting with colour through the use of the ‘Colour Provenance’ recipe book. When working with pigments there is key information to take into account such as: the origin and sourcing for materials; composition; shade; suitability to mediums; and health and safety.
08
photography Laura Daza
INTRODUCTION
Since antiquity, colour has been used to enhance human existence. Whether worn as ornamentation; stained onto our bodies as part of symbolic rituals or tattoos; used in painting; or applied to clothing; colour has denoted social status, and perhaps more importantly, has been a source of pleasure and desire. Colour is considered a social phenomenon, it is society and history that ‘makes’ colour, defines it, gives it its meaning, constructs its codes and values, establishes its uses and determines whether its acceptable or not. Colour has been a focus of attention for humankind; the determination to extract pigments has led to today’s prosperous colour industry (Taylor, 2013, p.56). The different shades, colours and hues have the power to overwhelm, but iit seems that the origins and journeys of these pigments are obscure and forgotten. Today, colour is a commodity mechanically made and claimed for mass consumption. Once, colour had a unique aura, power and magic that brought stories alive.
10
Can the revival of ancient pigments provoke a greater appreciation of Colour Provenance?
‘Colour Provenance’ is a visual investigation and interpretation ito the ancient world of colour. Through developing a thorough understanding and knowledge of how colour was sourced, crafted and utilized in the past, I hope to both celebrate the ancient rituals and alchemic techniques that were once used but also make people re-appreciate colour as it was done in old times through the process of experimenting and re-manufacturing authentic ancient pigments that are increasingly being lost as we move away from natural materials and traditional methods. Colour Provenance is a communication project, which informs how colours are made and where they come from, through the understanding of the science, the history behind it, I hope to unwrap its elements and secrets and tell these to the people who have the same interest. I was inspired in the Egyptian colour palette, the purity and magic in their colours and materials.
11
RESEARCH
REVIVAL
In this section, I will show a historical review of colour, the importance of colour craft and then talk through the methodology and processes I went through as an alchemist. In discussing the ‘revival’ of ancient pigments, I mean not just replicating the colour itself but the sum of all the elements that make up the colour. Revivals are not just a repetition of the past; craft is in a constant process of reinvention, they are instead, complex and historically changing, reflecting more about the present and future than the past. My aim is to revive colour’s history, methods, origin and value, in order to encourage people to re-appreciate colour in a manner that appears to have been long lost.
COLOUR CRAFT
Colour making was considered one of the most valuable crafts in ancient times because colour was the most expensive commodity; today this skill is largely neglected been replaced by digital technology. Artists had to become masters in their skill through practice, knowledge and pain in order to obtain the most exotic hues and shades. Colouring substances used in paint making can be presented in the form of pigments, which is composed of finely divided particles, whereas dyestuffs dissolve when introduced to water or alcohol to form coloured liquids. In this project my focus are pigments. Pigments can be divided into inorganic and organic (see chart pg. 14) A pigment is a powdered insoluble substance that is suspended in a medium, which acts as a carrier of the pigment. The medium varies the form of paint, such as oils, resins, or water based in order to paint.
12
‘Pigments are easier to control when mixed with these mediums, creating stable pastes of colour and have a greater resistance to fading on exposure to sunlight when compared to dyestuffs’ (Seymour, 2003, p. 15). Organic pigments were a significant part of historical pigments before the modern era for bodily ornamentation, painting, cosmetics and textile dyeing. For today’s artists almost every natural pigment has been replaced by a synthetic alternative.
photography Laura Daza lapis lazuli mineral
THE SENSES
One could say that craft has existed from the moment humankind started to use tools, because any use of tools involves an act of skilled doing or making. The relationship of hand, brain and material has led to the development of human intelligence. (Dunbar & Handwerker, 1996) The ‘sense of reality’ or human touch, also has enabled the exploration, experience and understanding of our surrounding physical world. The ability for exploring through making has helped in the development of human creativity and social and cultural relationships. (Canetti 1973) As the great thirteenth-century Dominican theologian, Thomas Aquinas, said: ‘Touch is the first and in a way the root and foundation of all senses’.
13
COLOURANTS
n. any substance that imparts colour/ colouring matter
DYES n. soluble substances/ substances used to colour materials also called dyestuff. To colour a material, especially by soaking in a colouring solution.
NATURAL
SYNTHETIC
are derived from plants, animals or minerals. The majority are vegetable dyes from roots, barks, leaves, wood and other organic sources such as lichens and fungi. are derived organic dye compounds, originally came from coal tar derivatives. Today can be made from aniline or chrome i.e.‘mauve’ from W.Perkins 1856, ‘Prussian blue from Diesbach 1704.
PIGMENTS n. insoluble white or coloured substance that can be suspended in a liquid for application to a surface (latin pigmentum) or incorporated into a solid material.
INORGANIC
ORGANIC
are derived from compounds that were never part of living matter and do not contain carbon. Produced either with naturally mined pigments (ochre, umber, sienna) or manufactured (iron oxide, carbon black). Cobalts, cadmiums, titaniums (pigments both mined and manufactured). are derived from living substances or substances that once were part of living matter and contain carbon. Known for their clarity, transparency, polysyllabic i.e phthalocyanine, quinacridine
LAKES n. a lake is a insoluble coloured substance obtained by ‘fixing’ the dye onto a transparent white powder. Made by precipitating the dye with an inert binder or mordant usually a metallic salt. In ancient times chalk, white clay, crushed bones, kaolin, gypsum where used for making lakes. Alum has been used for preparing lakes. Alum (washing soda) will grab onto the dye colour. Lakes considerably extend the range of colours available in the production of paints, cosmetics and inks for printing and lithography.
14
ANCIENT COLOUR PALETTE
A great variety of coloured materials have been used as pigments. Most of these came from the natural world, either as coloured minerals and earths, or as natural products such as dyes and resins obtained from plant and animal sources. For instance, red was extracted from insects or oxides: blue and green from precious gemstones as well made artificially; yellows from ochres and minerals; black from charcoal and soot; white from shells and chalk; purple from sea snails and plants; and so on. We can evidence that in prehistoric cave paintings the chromatic system was based on three colours: reds, blacks and white but not blue or green. Although blue is present in natural elements that go back to the earth’s formation, it has taken humanity many long years to learn how to reproduce and use it. Western culture moved from a chromatic system based on 3 colours to one based on six-and these colours have remained an important part of our lives up to the present day (Bomford & Roy, 2009).
I
IMAGE WIKIPEDIA - CAVE PAINTINGS
THE EGYPTIANS: MASTERS IN COLOUR MAKING
15
In antiquity, in Egypt, Greece, Rome and China certain manufactured pigments were also used including Lead white, Verdigris and Egyptian blue. It can be argued that Egyptians were masters in the art of fire, colour making and glass manufacturing. They introduced new colours to the colour palette such as bright blues, greens and yellows. They were the first to introduce powdered malachite used as a green pigment, and yellow from orpiment mineral. One of their greatest inventions was Egyptian blue; the first ever manufactured synthetic pigment, a double silicate of copper and calcium that made up for the lack of natural blue minerals. (Delamare & Guineau, 2000)
IMAGE WIKIPEDIA EGYPTIAN ART AND HIEROGLYPHS
METHODS
The methods of extracting colour were slow and complicated processes including pulverisation and purification were required to transform the mineral into a pigment usable by painters. For instance, Lapis lazuli is a semi precious stone were blue is extracted still been the most expensive natural pigment. It contains more impurities than blue particles, and these particles must be completely separated out to make the pigment. ‘Today the science that produces colour is dominated by men in white coats’. (Bucklow, 2009) In modern times, it is completely divorced from its origins; mainly the artist’s studio and from our daily lives. Back in early times, colour had a mystical significance far away of just the pure enjoyment of its shades. Today many of the wisdom and knowledge of ancient people is lost and forgotten.
ORIGIN
Colour has geography. Its sources were always of importance to artists and often contributed significantly to its meaning. For instance, Greek painters used a variety of pigments: white from the Greek island of Milos, yellow or blue from Attica and red from Sinope on the Black Sea. Colour can be categorised chronologically. The tracing of colours through time is a way of understanding colour provenance and the stories behind each one. Most traces of historic use of colour have been lost. Often, the only objects that survive are the masterpieces from the old painters giving us a better understanding of these societies.
16
COLOUR TIMELINE PREHISTORY carbon black bone black umber red ochre yellow ochre chalk madder carmine saffron malachite whiteshell egyptian blue indigo azurite red lead vermil ion verdigris tyrian purple ultramarine lead tin yellow smalt indian yellow mummy brown naples yellow van dyke brown prussian blue cobalt green cobalt blue chrome orange emerald green chrome yellow cadmium yellow lemon yellow zinc white viridian cobalt yellow cobalt purple cerulean blue cadmium red titanium white
ANTIQUITY
MEDIEVAL AGE
RENAISSANCE AND EARLY AGE
INDUSTRIALISATION AND CONTEMPORARY
PRESENT DAY
I designed a colour timeline to trace colours from prehistory to modern times. I focused on the colours before the Industrial Revolution, where a transition from handcrafted to machine made is evident.
THE COLOUR PALETTE
MUMMY BROWN
MALACHITE
VERDIGRIS
SAFFRON
The colour palette is made up of 8 ancient colours from the animal, vegetable and mineral world, such as: Mummy Brown, Malachite, Verdigris, Saffron, Whiteshell, Lamp Black, Ochre and Azurite; each one with a fascinating story and manufacturing process. Some of these colours have played an important role in mankind; others I was attracted to the shade and the materials used to manufacture them.
WHITESHELL
LAMP BLACK
OCHRE
AZURITE
photography LAURA DAZA
SAFFRON The powerful pigment
photography KKGAS
Saffron Etymology: safranum Source: plant Botanical name: Crocus sativus Colour range: warm orange to bright yellow
The most powerful pigment able to dye liquid, skin, hair and cloth. Saffron has been used since Antiquity for painting, dyeing, flavouring, perfume and medicine; and the chemical producing the vivid yellow is crocetin. It can dye 150,000 times more its own weight. Indigenous to Greece, Turkey and Iran. Used by Medieval artists to imitate gold leaf.
BC
2000
0
Provenance: Greece, Turkey and Iran in a small size
23
AD Present
photography LAURA DAZA - safffron strands
HISTORY
The waters of the Mediterranean Sea have witnessed the most fascinating trade routes of spices and colour. Saffron is a spice that is extracted from the dried stigmas of the crocus sativus, and has always been one of the world’s most costly substances. The domestication of saffron spans for more than 4,000 years, and crosses civilizations, continents and cultures. With its fragrance and bitter taste, the rich carotenoid substance has been used as a pigment, dye, seasoning, perfume, medicine, and aphrodisiac, over time. The Sumerians used this spice as an important ingredient in their magical potions and remedies, while the Persians wove saffron threads into royal carpets and funeral robes. Indigenous to Greece, Turkey and Iran, saffron was first domesticated as a crop in Crete. It played an important role in ancient Greco-Roman culture as a widely traded commodity across the Mediterranean. During this period of Antiquity, saffron customers ranged from perfumers, physicians, cooks and dyers. This last group operated mainly in the city of Tyre, which was known for the production of the expensive dye, Tyrian Purple (extracted from the murex shellfish). In Tyre, yellow from saffron was also used to mix it with purple dyes to colour the royal robes. Saffron-based pigments and dyes were extremely valuable as saffron was considered to be the most powerful colourant able to dye liquid, skin, hair and cloth. It has the capacity to dye 150,000 times more its own weight. 24
In the ancient world this spice was greatly prized as a perfume, especially to scent public spaces, and daily baths. Cleopatra used saffron in her warm baths during Ptolemaic Egypt because of its cosmetic and colouring properties.
IMAGE WIKIPEDIA ANCIENT MURAL PAINT SHOWING SAFFRON CROPS
For centuries saffron cultivation was either rare or non-existent but it regained popularity during the Middle Ages. Saffron based inks were used in Medieval European illuminated manuscripts to provide hues of yellow and orange and also for imitating gold leaf. Demand for saffron increased with the Black Death in Europe since it was used for medicinal purposes. England became a major producer of saffron, which was introduced and spread to the coastal regions of eastern England in the 14th century AD. The cultivation of saffron took place in Essex in a small town with a chalk-based soil called Saffron Walden. Following the arrival of new spices and ingredients from the East and the Industrial Revolution, saffron cultivation declined in England. Despite its replacement, saffron continues to be used as a cooking ingredient, especially for the Spanish paella. Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain and Italy are among the main countries of Saffron production. Historically, Iran has been the most important exporter of Saffron in the world. In Brixton Market, a traditional street market in the centre of Brixton, South London, which is known for its energy and ethnic diversity; it is easy to find food and ingredients from different parts of the world. These ingredients come from Africa, the Caribbean and India, which make this place a fascinating experience. I was able to get driedsaffron strands so I could start experimenting with the process of colour extraction. 25
saffron pigment
egg
saffron colour card
saffron strands
photography KATYA DE GRUNWALD
26
RECIPES - MAKING SAFFRON EGG TEMPERA
- MAKING SAFFRON PIGMENT - MAKING SAFFRON ACRYLIC PAINT
photography LAURA DAZA
MAKING SAFFRON EGG TEMPERA
INGREDIENTS:
1 egg ‘glaire’ (egg white) 5 gr saffron strands
UTENSILS:
Spatula 1 glass or plastic container of 200ml aprox Measuring cup Scale Brush Watercolour paper
PROCESS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 27
Measure your ingredients Separate the egg yolk from the ‘glaire’ and keep the ‘glaire’ (egg white) in a container. Add the saffron strands and soak the saffron overnight in glaire. You will see how the colour intensifies from pale yellow to a dark yellowish-orange. Stir the mix of saffron and egg ‘glaire’ and it is ready to be used. Use a paintbrush and paint on watercolour paper. You will see the satin and shiny finish.
photography KKGAS SAFFRON STRANDS
28
photography KKGAS
29
photography KKGAS
photography KKGAS
photography KKGAS
30
BIBLIOGRAPHY Albers, J. (1963) Interaction of Colour, by Yale University Biehn, M. (2007) The Colours of Provenance Black Dog Publishing, Colour in the making from old wisdom to new brilliance Braun, J. (1993) Introduction to Pigments, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology Braun, J. (1993) White pigments, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology Bomford, D & Roy, A. ( ) Review: A Closer Look: Colour, London Bucklow, S. (2000) The Alchemy of Paint Cennini, C Il libro dell’ Arte Chenciner, R. (2000) Madder Red: A history of luxury and trade, by Curzon Press Delamare, F. (2013) Blue Pigments 5000 years of art and industry, Antique collectors club ltd Delamare, F. & Guineau, B. (2000) Colour: Making and using dyes and pigments. London; Thames & Hudson Ltd Diane, T. & Cassidy, T. (2005) Colour Forecasting, by Blackwell Publishing Fletcher, K. Alternative Fibres. EcoDesign. Journal of the Ecological Design Association. Vol V Nol 1. 30. Fletcher, K. (1999) Clean and green? EcoDesign. Journal of the Ecological Design Association. Vol VII No 3, 34-37. Flint, I. (1998) Eco Colour: Botanical dyes for beautiful textiles; Murdoch Books Friends of the Earth (1990): Industrial Solvents and the Ozone Layer (Briefing Sheet), Friends of the Earth Ltd (August). Fehrman, K. (2004), The secret influence of Colour, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Finlay, V. (2007) Colour: A Natural History of the Palette, Random House Publishing Group Gage, J. (1999) Colour and meaning, University of California Press Garfield, S. (2000) Mauve, How one man invented a colour that changed the world, Fiber and Fiber Limited Glover, B.; Pierce, J. (1993): Are Natural Colourants Good for Your Health? Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists, 109, January, 5-7. Hughes, R. & Rowe, M. (1982) Colouring, bronzing and patination of metals : a manual for the fine metalworker and sculptor, cast bronze, cast brass, copper and copper-plate, gilding metal, sheet yellow brass, silver and silver-plate; The Crafts Council In search of lost colour [videorecording DVD] Lee, D. (2007) Nature’s palette: the science of plant colour, University of Chicago Press LeeScott, M. (2007) The Potter’s Bible, Quarto Publishing plc Pastoureau, M. (2000) Blue, The history of a colour, Editions du Seuil, Princeton University Press Seymour, P. (2003) The Artist´s Handbook, London, Arcturus Publishing Ltd. Sutherland, B. (1987) Glazes from natural sources, A&C Black publishers Taylor, J. (2013) Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Another Escape, No. 2, pp. 56-81