Heidi Gustafson is an artist and pigment forager who is archivingochrefrom around the world.
Through her artistic research studioEarly Futures, she focuses on finding and documenting these iron-based earth and pigments.
This requires her to take to the land.
Located in rural northern Washington state, Gustafson scours shorelines and scrapes rocks to get to gather shards.
to get to possess an exhaustive ochre archive, Gustafson’s project is collaborative and open to people everywhere.
Working with collaborators has resulted in some very special pigments in her archive.
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For those that might not be familiar with ochre, can you describe what it is?
Pigment is essentially crushed up matter.
So generally, ochres are common minerals found world-wide that contain varying amounts of iron and oxygen.
How and why do the pigments vary around the world?
Many people think of ochre as being yellow and they think of iron as steel or metallic.
), where it is found (river?
Each of those factors changed by a very small degree can radically alter the pigments color.
More importantly, a pigments elemental makeup changes its capacities in many other realms besides color!
How did you get interested in the investigation of pigments and specifically ochres?
The place felt so sacred, but was a largely destroyed place.
It doesnt look like much to the average eye.
People walk by it every day.
You say that you forage for pigments.
What does that process look like?
Asking people if theyve seen particular clays or run across outcrops of red earth.
What are some of the places you’ve visited to search for them?
Im most often in places that look like complete dumps and are secretly hiding with intensely rich mineral pigment.
What can we learn from variations in color, such as the different types of red that we see?
But red is always made from something.
); synthetic petroleum chemicals; and of course, many non-toxic, ancient iron minerals.
What are some of the rarest and/or unusual ochres to input your archive?
What’s next for your ochre archive?
Im working on bringing ochres together, letting them tell me whats next.
Long term, Im working on building a sanctuary and place, with a stone dovecote(!
How can someone get involved in the project?
Anyone can get involved!
I welcome contributions of local material, or to hear stories of ochre or pigment.
you could follow along with some of the work I do in my studio onInstagramor through mywebsite.
All of my research and work is sustained by small contributions and donations from generous souls.
