Madder root (Rubia tinctoria) anthotype by Päivi Hintsanen

“Madder bug” by Päivi Hintsanen, Jyväskylä, Finland
Parts used: Dried root
Amount: Unknown
Extracted by: Contact print and heating
Thinner: Tap water
Application: Contact printing. I placed the paper upon heated madder roots, and the contact of the root bits and fumes dyed the paper

Substrate: Hahnemühle Ultra smooth printing paper, 300 gsm
Created with: Laser printed OHP positive and drawing
Exposure: 4 days in August, summer 2024
Temperature: 15-25° Celsius
Contrast: ✿✿✿ (High)
Challenges or observations: I have dyed with natural dyes for over 20 years, and I have always thought that Madder is one of the most light-fast dyes. It is one of the three big ones (madder, weld and indigo) which were the main dyes in the European dye industry for a long time. The yarns dyed with it are very lightfast and also quite lightfast when using the “traditional” anthotype methods like brushing or dyeing the paper Earlier in one of my tests, it took four months for me to get an anthotype print on paper that I had dyed with madder. Four years ago I accidentally dropped one piece of test paper upon my madder root extraction bath, and when I noticed half an hour later, it had patterned beautifully, and the orangey brick red tone turned to a beautiful carmine red. I repeated the process several times and “contact printed” several of these small pieces of test papers. They have remained unfaded, really strong red, in my small studio space out of straight sunlight – but as I last spring cut some small butterflies out of one and placed them in my display window, and returned to my studio a few days later, the butterflies were all almost white. This led me to try anthotypes and I exposed one on an overcast day. Already the first evening the paper had faded.
Additional information: I have made anthotype prints for six years and often dyed yarn, and made lake pigments and anthotypes from the same sources. I sometimes use bought dyes like Madder, but mostly I like to try out random plants. An idea is to make a herbarium of local plants. I also use biowaste from coffee grounds to fruit peels.
Instagram: @paivi.hintsanen
Facebook: facebook.com/phintsanen
Website: www.paivihintsanen.fi
My anthotype project site: https://anthotypical.wordpress.com/