In Pursuit of Color

From Fungi to Fossil Fuels: Uncovering the Origins of the World's Most Famous Dyes

By Lauren MacDonald. Edited by Ananda Pellerin.

Releasing June 27, 2023

Press Contact: Alexandra Fanning | atelier@alexandrafanning.com

We are pleased to announce In Pursuit of Color, From Fungi to Fossil Fuels: Uncovering the Origins of the World's Most Famous Dyes, a new publication celebrating the lost folk practices and technical processes of dying cloth. 

Over the centuries our manipulation of the natural world has resulted in an explosion of synthetic dye production and application globally. To gain insight into the history of how folk practices have been lost and technical processes found, anthropologist and textile artist

Lauren MacDonald explores a practice that is both ancient and wholly modern: coloring cloth. The pursuit of color has long spurred economic and social contest, and through this deeply researched volume we explore the stories that the materials used to dye cloth tell us about our complex relationship to nature, our troubling ideas about progress and our understanding of power and labor.

In Pursuit of Color brings together historic techniques, archive photography, specimens and present-day events to tell the histories of some of the world’s most important dyestuffs. A 32-page supplement accompanies the volume, detailing practical applications and the chemistry behind dyeing processes. The book comes in three different covers (red, yellow and blue) which are shipped randomly as a further happy surprise.

Lauren MacDonald (born 1990) is a Canadian-born multidisciplinary artist, designer, and founder of the London, UK textiles studio Working Cloth. She has a background in material culture, textile science, and fashion.

DETAILS:

In Pursuit of Color: From Fungi to Fossil Fuels: Uncovering the Origins of the World's Most Famous Dyes

By Lauren MacDonald. Edited by Ananda Pellerin

Published by Atelier Éditions & D.A.P.

Publication Date: 7/18/2023

Specs: Hardcover, 7 x 9.25 in. / 272 pgs / 50 color / 10 duotone / 90 bw.

ISBN: 9781954957008

List Price: $49.95 CDN $66.95 GBP £37.50

For more information and high-resolution images please contact Alexandra Fanning: alex@alexandrafanning.com +1 (347) 468 – 0735

About Atelier Éditions

Atelier Éditions is an independent publishing house and creative consultancy established in Los Angeles in 2015. Authoring archival monographs, contemporary art books, and exploratory printed matter, the atelier regularly curates exhibitions, envisages cultural programming, initiates seminars, workshops, and enacts memorable collaborations.