Compost Dyeing

My studio in the kitchen at the AnkhLave Artist Residency on Governors Island inspired an experiment on compost dyeing at Earth Matter.

On a Monday morning volunteer build, I foraged for compostable materials with pigment potential- coffee grounds, onion skins, avocados from the Mexican restaurant, mint, marigolds, roses, eucalyptus from the spa, and mugwort rampant in the lot, to name few. I bundled the materials in upcycled bridal silk from FabScrap, preparing them to steam in the ambient heat of the compost pile.

I poked around with a temperature probe on top of the windrow with Charlie to find the perfect spot to bury the grub. We came across a space three feet deep, retaining good moisture, and a 146 degrees F, ideal conditions for dyeing silk.  I attached a rope to the bundles, one in a compostable bag and one without, and lowered them into the compost pit, leaving the cord’s tail above ground as a marker.

I returned a week later to dig them out and, to my surprise, the bundle in direct contact with the compost produced sharper, richer colors.