Bernadette Puleo

 
 

Bernadette Puleo

Studio Location:: 488 Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY 11746-5237

Title of Piece: A Stone's Throw

Materials Used: Base material and tataki zome leaves are 100% cotton. Stone appliqué material is 100% silk organza. Indigo used for background panel is Elu (the word used for the indigo plant) from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. The tataki zome (hapa zome) leaves are Japanese indigo (Persicaria Tinctoria) grown on Long Island in NY. Tataki zome leaves are painted with indigo pigment extracted from Persicaria Tinctoria. Silk organza dyed with Japanese indigo (Indirubin dye method) also grown on Long Island. Embroidery floss for stems is a combination of commercial cotton floss and indigo dyed floss.

Price: $1,500.00

Primary Techniques: Primary method used is wax batik.

Type of Vat: Fermentation vat (composted elu indigo balls, wood ash, salt)

Other Applications: Secondary applications as described above in Materials Used section.

Artist Bio: I have been an indigo grower and dyer since 2002. However, I was forced to take a hiatus for several years. In 2016, I finally had available land to start growing once more. My background is in visual arts in which I have an MFA (2011). I have been employed and taught in the commercial art field for most of my career. In January of 2020, I officially retired from my career job and started to devote my energies, full-time, to the growing and processing of Persicaria Tinctoria. I use the pigment I extract from the plant to dye fabric and wearable accessories. I use the pigment to make paint and pastels which I then use on fabric and paper. I also am interested in incorporating the stems of the plants as an integral part of my art pieces going forward. I am just beginning my exploration of the possibilities of Japanese Indigo. Many of my indigo art pieces have been accepted into juried shows in my community this year. My goal is to share the knowledge I acquire working with this magical plant with others, young and old and in between.

Artist Statement about Piece: When I read that the theme for the Indigo Matrix was Transmutation, my vision was that of a shattered window. A pane of glass separates two separate environments that we can see through. The environment behind the glass is void and desolate representing emptiness and despair. The environment in the foreground, in contrast, is full of life. The stone that shattered the glass opens a pathway of hope. It is a symbol of liberation. The distance from suffering to healing ... only a stone's throw. It just takes courage to shatter that barrier. That very stone, becomes the foundation for new life and hope as it anchors itself in its new environment. That new life is represented by the plant that is my muse and is the basis for the work at hand, Indigo.