This year I have become interested in innovation and futurism and have started to experiment with new mediums and techniques. I take inspiration from artists like Iris Van Herpen, the way she designs and the materials she uses; I believe that her designs are ahead of our time. Recently I watched a TED talk that really inspired me, “Design at the intersection of technology and biology” by Neri Oxman. In one of her designs explorations she uses shrimp shells to create 100% biodegradable plastic that disintegrates in the water and nourishes marine life and when put in soil it will help grow a tree. This TED talk, I believe, demonstrates how modern technology should be used to create objects that can be helpful for the environment. And this is what I want to do.
I intended to merge the old and new, taking inspiration of the pieces of my portfolio. As the new and innovative, I created another transparent bioplastic garment like the “Cooking Dress”. And for the old and classic, I tried the liquid light technique on the bioplastic dress in the darkroom using my photographies.
I like to do research and find innovative techniques I can do in fashion or in other mediums like photography. This is how I found an article about recipes for material activism on a cookbook that was full of different recipes to make bioplastic. I chose the one that seemed the most appropriate to use as fabric. I mixed tapioca starch, glycerine, vinegar, and water, then heated it until it became a transparent and sticky paste. I spread it on a plastic sheet to make a big panel of the bioplastic, and then let it dry for a couple of days.
While I was researching on experimental techniques to do in the darkroom. I found a product called liquid light, that can make any object and surface sensitive to light. I tried applying this product to the bioplastic but when I tried it, the product wouldn’t stick to the material. I found a different way to include my photographs in my design by printing my photographs on paper and then I attaching them underneath the bioplastic.