Indigo Night is inspired by a tale about ‘a snow white Hare with eyes as blue as a summer sky’ who was saved from a hunting party by a farmer. Struck by the Hare’s unusual appearance the farmer sought out the advice of Mother Boswell, a member of the travelling community and of the second sight. She was able to feel a woman’s body within the Hare’s form and surmised that it was the doing of a witches’ curse. On the night of Samhain, the man was advised to tie a string coated in beeswax around the Hare to prevent her from being summoned by the witch. Despite a great struggle, the night finally passed and the spell was broken; she was a woman once again.
Natural dyes derived from indigo, alder, elderberries and oak were used to create this piece along with cyanotype printing from plant material gathered on local walks. The Hare is hand-carved from lino and printed onto silk. Hand and machine embroidery create texture and movement throughout the piece.