Material Investigations VII

In meeting with my studio supervisor we discussed collaborating with nature to make works including the ocean. I took some supplies to Papamoa Beach on the evening of the 7th of March to make some bioplastic. I dug a small pit and created a fire from drift wood on that beach and when that burnt down a bit I put a pot on the fire and embers with agar powder and salt water. I usually use fresh water in my bioplastic but as I was planning on creating an element in the ocean, I felt it more appropriate to use seawater. I am not sure what effect this would have on the integrity of the bioplastic, if any. The mixture heated up and blended well over the fire and after heating for an appropriate amount of time, I took the pot to the surf. The surf was quite strong and I probably should have considered the implications of this. I tried to capture the moment on video so I was holding my phone in one hand and the pot in the other. When I poured the algae-based bioplastic into the ocean the undertow carried it really fast out back to see. Fortunately, this material is not toxic at all so it was not detrimental to the ocean for the bioplastic to be dragged away. I had a little bit of the mixture in the pot so I took to a shallower point and poured it on the edge of the water and the sand. I was able to salvage a few pieces of bioplastic from the experiment. These were quite sandy but I liked the shapes they formed. If I were to do this again I would need to find a way to ensure I don’t lose the work to the ocean whether I go with someone or create a type of net.