Indigo is one of the world’s most ancient dyes. It is derived from the leaves of the Indigofera plant. Indigo dye has been used by the people of Egypt and East Asia for more than 5000 years. Cultivation of Indigofera spread to India and Colonial America.

The title of this painting, “Blue Gold,” comes from the Middle Ages. Indigo had great value worldwide and was even used in place of paper currency in Colonia America. This lasted until the creation of synthetic indigo dye in the early 20th century.

Along with the wealth brought by the indigo dye is the dark history of labor abuses to dye workers and slaves who did not profit from indigo production.

This painting is made from indigo pigments and represents my chosen aspects of the history of the color indigo.
- The leaves are a stencil of the plant Indigofera which makes the dye.
- The rustic cradle board, gilded in gold, represents both the wealth brought by indigo and the popularization of indigo from work wear to fashion. The rough board is a tribute to the laborers who cultivated and produced indigo for dye.
- The Batik bird and beeswax Encaustic medium speak to the wax-resist dyeing tradition in Java, Indonesia, in which beeswax and plant dyes are used to print on plain woven fabric.
The oldest color that was used in traditional Batik-making was blue made from the indigo plant.
Batik artists carefully chose each symbol. The bird represents freedom and liberation.
I chose the bird as a symbol of hope for workers who labor for those in pursuit of wealth.