NATURAL DYE / NATURAL DRINK (2018)

Natural Dye / Natural Drink was a pop-up cocktail bar featuring local and regional dye plants, crafted onsite at The Castle in Rockaway Park. Botanicals were sourced by the artist from local gardens, regional farms, urban spaces, and wild environments. Bartenders wore custom linen jumpsuits dyed with cocktail ingredients, displaying a direct connection between flavor and color. Installed on the upper terrace of The Castle was We Habilitate, a wearable sculpture for two bodies. Punctuated with 8,030 river rocks but seemingly weightless, it balanced visual levity with an actual weight of nearly twenty pounds. Visitors were invited to engage with the garment by sharing and wearing alongside another person.

Organized for the opening reception of Lightning Whelk, curated by Yulia Topchiy and Tess Thackara. Co-bartending by Masina Frank. Recipe curation by Daniel Gray. Images by Daniel Natalo-Lifton.