The Illusion of Plans

The Illusion of Plans goes deep into colliding natural, economic and political histories via the indigo plant. Indigo grows like a weed in Florida, where it was once cultivated as a valuable dye. In The Illusion of Plans, indigo is stripped down to two primary qualities: that particular color blue, and a generic-looking plant. Spiraling outward from these material foundations are expeditions to locate indigo plants in their Florida habitat, encounters with local botanists and horticultural bureaucracies, and the discovery of indigo’s troubling though not surprising connection to labor exploitation and the history of enslavement in the United States. For more on the process of researching and producing this work please visit The Illusion of Plans (research)