Rugs Outside April 09 2009

Summertime and the living is "Kush."

Sunday I took a Sahar and a Khamseh on a field trip outside to be photographed in front of the gallery. The sun was brilliant and the vegetal dyes shimmered in the afternoon light.

Many people inquire about the attributes of dyes utilized in Oriental carpets. We carefully choose pieces with color fast vegetal or highly quality Swiss chrome dyes that will hold up to use and sunlight. Of course any textile exposed to a great deal of sun will fade, but the curvature should be a natural evolution not a drastic shift.

Poor quality rugs are made with Aniline dyes as a way to cut costs and these pieces are susceptible to color run and extreme fading. Some rug insiders refer to low quality dyes as "fugitive dyes" which conjures up an image of dyes on the run, literally.

 
Pedestrians strolling by enjoyed the rug show and a chance to view carpets in a somewhat unusual environment. It is always a pleasure to field an unexpected question and to engage those that would not normally walk into Kush gallery. I often find that people are curious about rugs, but sometimes are intimidated by their unfamiliarity with the art form.

Each journey begins with many questions. Fine rugs are a broad and diverse medium with many nuances that even rug scholars disagree on amongst themselves. I learn more about rugs every day and in the end I buy for the gallery and myself with the same tool, my heart.