What if I added a glow-in-the-dark pigment to the algae-based bioplastic? I had been thinking about marine bioluminescence, a heatless blue-green light that is generated by marine organisms including microalgae and some jellyfish. Bioluminescence is often visible when the algae are disturbed by a boat, the tide, or by fish in the ocean. It is a wonderous thing to see and I saw it a lot as a child when we were sailing. With the connections to microalgae and jellyfish (which have been core elements in working with ABP, adding a glow-in-the-dark pigment to give a bioluminescent effect is something that could make sense contextually.

Using the new brand of agar powder I had not tried before, I made a large batch of ABP which I poured into a frame with some previously moulded shapes. I added some glow-in-the-dark pigment and after it had set for about 8 hours I was able to remove it from the frame and test how it worked as is shown in the below video. I do like the effect, it’s quite mystical, the lumination brings it to life. With the domes within the ABP, the translucency of the ABP, it seems like something quite embryonic.

Given the right context, the glow-in-the-dark pigments could be used in works, however, I am unsure of their toxicity.

Possibilities

What if I created works that mimicked the visual effect of bioluminescence in the body of water? What if I made an installation from these works (timed lighting which creates periods of dark and light which could also be representational of time)?
What if I created ABP works that represented embryonic forms? What if this is related back to the theory of bodies of water? This could also connect to the idea of using ABP as a medium in art, being in its “embryonic” stages of development.

Material Investigations V

Material Investigations VI

Material Investigations IV