Karen Kamenetzky Fiber Art

Dan was also working on his own pieces while he taught us. When we arrived we saw a pile of large bundles of 2 color batiked fabrics which had been widely folded accordian style and bound. These were awaiting final resist dyeing.
Dye bowls were placed tilted in a drainage gap in the floor. Dan mixed dyes into the bowls.

Dan mixing dye for his own work

You can see three bundles in the foreground ready for dyeing. Each bundle will be stood on its side to pick up that color and then stood on the opposite side to pick up a second color and to allow for color combos along the middle. Hard to explain but easier when you see the picture hopefully:

Dyeing the bundles

I really wish I had taken more close up pictures of his finished fabric so you could understand why I was so taken by the uniquely  intricate patterning and rich colors. Here’s another shot of fabrics for sale at the shop. It does not do it justice.

fabrics in the shop

So back to finishing my piece of beginner batik: After the second block printing, dyeing and drying, the fabric was rinsed in the outside bathtub.

bathtub rinse

Then Dan plunged it into boiling water from the heated oil drum to melt off the wax. He deftly moved the fabric around using two sticks like tongs.

wax off

Et voila:

finished

Notice the heavy handed moments. Dan and Elizabeth made it look easier that is was!
I hope this vicarious experience was interesting for some of you. It was wonderful for me to relive that day!

The next morning after a squished hour ride on a trotro (beat up minivan-the main public transport) and after a prolonged search we finally found the workshop-a concrete block, dirt floor, open air structure in a residential area. Lots of friendly neighbors, curious kids, goats, chickens, a few pigs and sounds of a raucous church choir practicing next door formed the backdrop.

Mercy’s son, Daniel Tekfor Baflo, welcomed us and showed us around.

Dan in shop

It became clear that because Mercy had actually stopped batiking 20 years ago, Dan was the artist behind the work produced. He’s 34, went to art school for graphic design over 10 years ago and works here 7 days a week. Yet he gets no personal credit for his textiles. This was one of many moments of I ran into  of (to me) mysterious cultural rules of loyalty and obligation. Dan is not happy with the situation but feels he has few choices.

OK back to the workshop…
At one end were the large plastic dye pots.

dye pots

And at the other end was the work table, the wax pot…

wax pot

…and overflowing shelves holding dozens of beautiful intricately carved thick foam stamps! The designs ranged from traditional  to bold free-flowing contemporary.

blocks on shelf

Clearly THESE were part of the secret behind the uniqueness of the fabric Dan produces here. Dan draws freehand on the foam and carves each design with a razor blade. The additional step that distinquishes his work is his technique of overstamping with these blocks. That results in the filagreed, richly layered surfaces I fell in love with.

I had to choose 2 blocks. Well that took a while! But I settled on block 1:

block1

…and block 2:

block 2

Dan then filled an oil drum outside with water from an old nearby bathtub and built a fire.

water into the drum

Next step-stamping the wax…To be continued!