Remember, I’m With The Cosmos
February 2025 Durham Art Guild Gallery
“Remember, I’m With The Cosmos” features paintings and naturally dyed fabric depicting farmscapes that Antonia Brown created during her six month Artist in Residence with the Durham Art Guild.
In these pieces, the artist grapples with her connection to agriculture and continues, uninhibitedly, to choose the path of tenderness, community and reverence. Her focus lies in the little moments of breath, beauty and serenity she holds tight to while farming. This collection of paintings acts like a journal for the artist and this exhibition seeks to bring those little moments of presence and daily acts of sacredness into the gallery.
Natural Dye
During this residency, I experimented with natural dyes derived from farm materials to add warmth and texture to my canvas. The vibrancy of the dyed cotton and linen encouraged and challenged me to lean into minimal designs to allow the material to shine. These materials invite the viewer further into the agricultural world by surrounding them with crop dyed cloth. I used Bundle Dye and Batch Dye techniques:
Bundle Dyeing is when the dye materials are placed on the fabric in a desired design then the fabric is rolled up and steamed or submerged in water. This method of dyeing allows for the creation of patterns and different colors within the same piece of fabric.
Batch Dyeing is the technique that I used most often in my dye experiments. This method of dyeing is very common where the dye materials are boiled or warmed in water to create a dye bath and the fabric is then soaked or boiled in that bath to transfer the color. I tried a variety of dye baths, finding most success with marigold petals, yellow onion skins and avocado pits.
Meditation In The Gallery
During the duration of this exhibition, I led guided mediations in the tradition of Plum Village and Thich Nhat Hanh in the gallery space followed by tea from the farm. I hoped this would allow folks to experience the art with quiet contemplation and presence. Much of this exhibition was inspired by my times of meditative farm work so I wanted to bring that aspect into the space as much as I could.
