Vita Cochran / Tumeric Dyed Silk Bag

Artist Vita Cochran used the age old technique of turmeric dyeing to transform her organic silk sample into a delicate embroidered bag.

Tartan Mind Mend: Tell us about what you do that defines being a creative to you.
Vita Cochran: I'm an artist who works with textiles and traditional craft practices re-imagined. I make objects like bags, accessories and rugs which people use and enjoy in daily life - this is the beauty of textiles to me - that they are tactile, intimate. I often use vintage or salvaged materials, so the Tartan Mind Mend project of material re-use immediately appealed to me.

TMM: What creative pursuits, little rituals, or things to look forward to, helped you to keep going during lockdown?
VC: Walking and stitching: long daily walks around Callan Park the Balmain peninsula, and a few kilometres of stitching too! It was a chance to get very absorbed in making. I made a quilt from vintage clothing, entirely hand-stitched. I've never had the discipline for meditation, but I think I get the equivalent relaxation from being absorbed when making things by hand.

TMM: Tell us about your re-imagined Tartan piece and what inspired you.
VC: I was given a cream silk sample skirt which I made into a delicate bag, using the skirt's waistband as the bag's drawstring. The idea for yellow came from the beautiful Poepke wrapping tissue the skirt arrived in. I dyed it in tumeric, which gives such a joyous and intense colour. And a faint spicy scent too! Because it's a natural dye it will fade over time, but I decided that's appropriate for the project - it's important for our mental health to appreciate beauty in the moment. The bag is embroidered with silk ribbon flowers. I used all silk in the embellishment, to keep the lightness and flow of the original silk garment, and a feeling of springtime optimism.

TMM: How has the lockdown affected your creative process?
VC: I'm lucky to be able to say that it didn't impact me too much. I enjoyed the lack of distraction. During the early re-opening when the whole of Sydney was meeting for picnics, I made an enormous bag that unfurls to become a picnic rug that you can sit on. Which was a fun thing to make and partly a response to the mandated picnics. I hoped we'd be picnicing forever, but that phase seems to have faded away now.

TMM: When the world opens back up, what is the first thing you would love to do?
VC: Bush walks beyond my 5kms, the Blue Mountains and Royal National Park

100% Organic Silk
Gentle Hand Wash Separately
Do Not Tumble Dry
Avoid Sunlight
*This natural dyed item will fade and take on new characteristics over time.

Due to the handmade/second hand nature of this item any imperfections are considered intentional and are unique characteristics of this one of a kind piece. Over time changes may occur. Handle with care. No exchanges or refunds are available for Tartan Mind Mend charity auction items.

@vitacochran
https://annamilesgallery.com/artists/vita-cochran/