Material Memory Studio — Research
Material Research Library
A living archive of material references, historical sources, biomaterial experiments, pigments, binders, and artistic research — accumulated across 12 countries and ongoing studio practice.
Each entry includes what the material is, why artists use it, historical context, basic process, common failures, and Jay's own studio notes. The library grows with each workshop, residency, and research trip.
Field Research
Material Trips
Field research documentation — New York · Boston · and beyond
Browse by Category
Verdaccio — Green Earth Underpainting
The green earth underpaint beneath Renaissance skin tones — using egg tempera's transparency to build optical flesh from below
Botanical & Photo Embedding in Bioplastic
Pressing flowers, plants, and photographs into cast bioplastic — the Material Memory Studio signature technique
Eco-Printing
Steam-printing botanical pigments directly onto mordanted fabric — leaves, petals, and bark leaving their imprint in the fibre
Learn & Make
From archive to studio — learn these materials in person
The research here forms the foundation of our workshops and 1:1 material consultations. If you want to work with a specific material — hands-on, in the studio — reach out.