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Blueprint
Ticino
Blueprinting is a traditional textile printing technique and is listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Originating in the 18th century, this technique is applied to linen or cotton fabrics, creating a white pattern on a blue background. While the textile technique of blueprint is practised in many parts of the world, our project focuses on Ticino blueprint, which has its roots in the 18th century. Trade between Milan and Ticino influenced the spread and development of the craft, whilst the people of Ticino adapted the technique to local needs and resources. Matteo Gehringer, who learned the craft of blueprinting from his grandmother, still practises it today, and Ticino blueprint has become part of the region's cultural heritage.
Matteo Gehringer
At the age of 19, Matteo Gehringer left the Ticino mountains and moved to Italy, where he studied and earned a PhD in Art History. In 2012, he decided to return to Ticino. At that time, the "Centro di dialettologia e di etnografia di Bellinzona", the Ethnographic Archive Bellinzona, was looking for people who mastered the old technique of blueprinting. Matteo, who had learned the craft from his grandmother and owned many old printing blocks, helped the ethnographers reconstruct the process and assess their collection of tools. Inspired by the revived craft, Matteo undertook further education as a textile craftsman and revived the old craft. Today, Matteo is a handweaver and blueprinter.
Ticino blueprint is a resist printing process. A colour-resistant paste is applied to the fabric using carved wooden blocks. The fabric is then dipped in an indigo bath to achieve the characteristic blue colour. The areas covered with the paste remain uncoloured. Indigo pigment is derived from the plant "Indigofera Tinctoria" and is one of the oldest textile dyeing techniques. After dyeing, the fabric is washed to remove the paste, revealing the pattern.
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