The Island Gallery : David Mendoza

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	PRESS RELEASE The Island Gallery 106 Madison Avenue North Bainbridge Island, WA. 98110 Tel. 206-780-9500 Fax. 206-780-7811 For more information, contact Susan Swannack-Nunn, Owner ssn@theislandgallery.net January 25, 2005. For immediate release. Exhibition: Sea and Sky: David Mendoza Explores Art in Nature Exhibition Dates: February 4-28, 2005 Opening Reception: Friday, February 4, 6-8 p.m. David Mendoza, a native of the Seattle area and a one-time resident of Bainbridge Island, now lives on Bali where he designs and makes textiles and clothing using natural plant dyes, and creates jewelry from gem stones and shells native to Southeast Asia. Most recently he has been active in organizing relief for tsunami victims in Indonesia. In David’s Words After thirty years of working in the arts and cultural politics I decided to take a short break. I arrived in Bali in May 1998 for a 10-day holiday, and four months later I had found a piece of land on which it seemed I was about to build a house. I returned to Seattle for a month to get my bearings and find out if I had lost my mind. Then I returned to Bali to begin building the house where I live today. While apparently becoming an “expat,” and with no plan for my life beyond finishing the house, I had also become interested in Indonesian textiles. Southeast Asia, and Indonesia in particular, have a long and impressive tradition of creating beautiful textiles. During my studies I became fascinated with natural plant dyes, which were traditionally used to give color to yarns and textiles before the invention of chemical dyes. I realized that some of the plants used for dyeing were growing on the land where I lived so I began to experiment with dyeing silk. I now have a studio near Ubud, and work with a team of Balinese making batik with natural plant dyes. The use of natural plant dyes has continued on a small scale in a few places, and is now enjoying a revival both for aesthetic reasons and because the commercial textile dyeing process is one of the largest polluters in Indonesia. David’s Tsunami Relief Work I have become directly involved with ACEH AID at IDEP. IDEP is an Indonesian foundation based here in Ubud, Bali. IDEP stands for Indonesian Development of Education and Permaculture. This foundation did great work during and after the Bali bombings, which is how I know of it. The very first aid to reach Calong on the west coast of Sumatra in Aceh, was delivered by ACEH AID at IDEP and our band of volunteers. The “Aceh Aid Bucket” concept has been noticed by the UN who has singled it out as an effective relief mechanism. World Food and Oxfam have offered to help restock the IDEP vessel to return to the west coast villages. As donations still come in, and I hope they will, new efforts at IDEP are focused on getting a group of midwives from Bali, along with birthing supplies, to Aceh; this team will also include Indonesian-speaking trauma counselors; this has been a need pleaded for from Aceh. IDEP will be looking for ways to help the survivors in places and ways that no one else is doing. The Island Gallery will donate 15% of exhibition sales to IDEP.