When I walked along the roadsides searching for dye plants, it was mainly nettles that I encountered in large quantities. Nettles and blackberries are much more prevalent than they used to be due to increased nitrogen levels in the soil. From the outer fibers, I made a ‘nettle cloth’ to use as a sieve for the dye baths, and it became my readily available work material throughout the summer months.
Tine Colen
Nettle
2023
Works
About
After her training in the medium of painting, Tine Colen (1985) felt the need not to simply represent or imitate the world, but to be in the midst of things. Gradually, the following elements became characteristic of her work: The blurring of boundaries between art and functional objects by creating items that carry meaning and can sometimes be used / working with natural materials in a cyclical process, often defined by their temporary, seasonal nature, as well as human-made materials considered waste / seeking specific knowledge about plant usage through the study of ethnobotany and anthropology / a slow and labor-intensive making process, rooted in collective creation / generating value through the way objects are used, gifted, and passed on / using public space as a workshop, where the physical work sparks conversation, encounters, and change.