by Caitlin Bryant
Amber Friedman is fairly new to Powell River. She comes all the way from Fredericton, New Brunswick, with a brief stint in Vancouver.
*Live Ta Dye* is Amber’s textile venture and you’ll find her at many of the local fairs and festivals, including the Farmer’s Market which is starting back up in April. At the Live Ta Dye booth you will see silk-screens of her own photography, portraits, embroidery, photo-transfers, bookbinding, batik on paper and fabric, shibori (resist-dyeing—binding fabrics during dye process), and discharge dyeing (removing pigment), on a variety of new and recycled fabrics and papers.
In Fredericton, Amber studied photography and textile arts at the New Brunswick College Of Craft And Design for four years, where she became a Teaching Assistant, facilitated printing and dyeing workshops and gained many accolades. Amber was even invited to exhibit a piece of her art in a faculty show at the New Brunswick Provincial Art Gallery, also known as *The Beaverbrook*. The piece that generated so much interest was a dress entitled ‘Wears Money’. The dress is beautifully constructed from hundreds of fine silk and satin panels printed, front and back, with the official $100 dollar bill design (yes, she obtained permission from The Bank Of Canada). Layers of these panels build upon each other, making up a feathered skirt and leaving a little fray in the edging for added texture. The cocktail dress is finished with a classic halter bodice edged with more of the $100 panels.
This dress is definitely a head turner, sure to make any woman look like a million bucks (sorry—I couldn’t resist!).
Both Amber and Live Ta Dye are about experimentation mingled with tried and true techniques for working with fibers, photography, textiles and dyes. One of Amber’s latest projects is unique. While in Vancouver she acquired an old photocopier—and I mean old, really, *really* old! Amber had some very interesting plans for the beast. “Just imagine what I’ll be able to do tothis fabric with my new photocopier!” Obviously everyday, flimsy fabric was only going to jam the machine; so she had some fun trial-and-error homework to do. After several experiments with various methods of stiffening the fabric, Amber started photocopying images and portraits onto textiles...
Wow! This is a brand-new technique for Amber and, as far I can tell, for anyone, ever. So keep an eye out for Live Ta Dye and Amber herself—she may have something new to show you. And we’ll keep you posted, because, when Amber graces Powell River with a show, it is sure to be exciting, cutting-edge, beautiful, and resourceful.
Amber facilitates private or group workshops for adults and/or children on a variety of printing and dyeing techniques. If you’re interested in getting a workshop going or would like to express interest in future opportunities, give Amber a call at 604.487.0868, or e-mail her at livetadye@yahoo.ca.