Material Investigations IV

What if I poured hot liquid algae-based bioplastic (ABP) into iced water? I thought I might get long rope-like formations however this was not the case. Bioplastic floats so it just collected on top of the iced water. The resultant form reminded me of a throat and uvula particularly when it was freshly formed. After curing for 16 days the form changed with the loss of water. The form had also grown some mould as had other experiments I had done on the same day. Admittedly I was not being overly careful about preventing this. With projects I did in 2022 I would place works in a small room with a dehumidifier to speed up the curing process. In most cases this had stopped mould growth.

Possibilities

• What if I poured ABP into a larger vessel of water?

• What if I poured it into salt water?

• What if I poured it directly into the ocean as my studio supervisor suggested?

Pouring algae-based bioplastic into iced water

Iced water moulding of algae-based bioplastic at the time of making

Iced water moulding of algae-based bioplastic after 16 days