Using indigo in oil paint is an intensely pleasurable experience, the range of colours achieved is affected by the material it is mixed with, the origins of the indigo, the level of the grind, and the concentration of the pigment in the media. It is always surprising and  a little unpredictable given its organic origins.  What I have found it lends itself to is the creation of the sensation similar to that of standing on the deck of a ship at night and allowing yourself to adapt to the darkness until you feel small in the world.

These works were made in response to the role of indigo in the history of trade. It can be traced back to Pliny, where he complains about quality control of indigo imported from India via the silk route.  It was implicated in trade protectionism from Middle Ages woad dyers.  It was part of the slave trade triangle, both illustrative of the ignorance and arrogance of the indigo plantation owners in the Carolinas, who sought slaves from the areas of indigo expertise in Africa, and yet kept the women, the holders of that expertise away from production.  It is also illustrative of the fortunes made by the sea traders involved in the slave trade which is at the foundation of the wealth that funded the Industrial revolution in Britain.