Here are William Myers' views on sustainable Bioart and Biodesign. It basically represents the status quo of research/work/exploration in this field by Frontier in art.
Nature Material Experiment- Why?
From a large perspective, this is based on our ecological situation and the blurring of the boundaries between human activities and nature: such as the climate crisis, the destruction of species diversity; the continuous breaking of the boundaries between humans and nature, and the impact of human activities on nature. Such as plastic, animal leather, and so on. What if we used materials that could be digested or not harm life? From a small point of view, I love the plants and fruits around me. I am amazed and moved by their beauty/color. I feel sorry for the rotten plants thrown away. What can we do?
Nature Material Experiment- What
The initial experiments of these experiments are the possibility of edible and resolvable natural or biological materials, which can be transformed into alternative plastics or leather (soft film-like substances, elasticity/strength/thickness) or even containers (three-dimensional molding); and the possibility of plants and Melons and fruits are added as visual aesthetic elements or biological auxiliary additives.
Nature Material Experiment- Methods
1. polymer molding- Method 1
a polymer, a plasticizer, and an additive
-Agar as a polymer
You can also use other - Gelatin / Starch
The molding itself here mainly depends on the physical properties of agar. After heating and cooking, it will be poured out and dried to form a leather-like material. If it is poured into a pre-prepared container model, it will have a shape after it dries. The thickness can be adjusted by yourself.
Plants and melon peels, etc., can be crushed to extract their pigments as color additives, or not completely crushed, and added as a visually visible material texture.
2. microbial growth type- Method 2
a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts – also known as SCOBY
I mostly used the kombucha strain
Plants and melon peels, etc., can be used as simple color additives or can be crushed, and cultivated with kombucha strains, the fructose, and cellulose in the melon peels will be converted into jelly by bacterial microorganisms, 2-4 Zhou will form a thin film on the surface.
Nature Material Experiment- HOW- Method 1
Raw materials:
agar powder: glycerin: water = 16g: 30g: 400g (You can also experiment with the ratio: the less glycerin, the harder the final material will be, and the more glycerin, the softer the resulting crust will be)
Auxiliary additives (visual customization):
plants/residual melon peels
Tools:
electronic scales, measuring cups, induction cooker, stock pot, stirring tool, mold container (glass/plastic or steel)
process:
1. Mix the raw materials into the pot according to the proportion, agar powder: glycerin: water = 16g: 30g: 400g, and stir well.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring while cooking, the liquid will slowly become viscous. Continue to stir and heat for a few more minutes, and some bubbles will form like a slow boil.
3. Turn off the heat and continue stirring for a few more minutes. Pour the viscous liquid into your prepared mold container. Be quicker, because the viscous agar liquid will solidify more easily.
4. About the mold container: it can be a shallow dish, and you can pour it into the thickness you want. It can be a plastic cup, the agar liquid is poured into the cup, and after a few minutes, the liquid that has not solidified inside is poured out, and the rest will solidify into the shape of the container.
5. Plant color additives: Break and stir the plants in advance and filter out the color. You can add it to the viscous agar liquid and pour it into the mold. It can also be directly placed in the mold in advance and mixed naturally when the agar liquid is poured into the mold.
6. Pour into the mold and take about 24 hours to remove the mold.
7. The finished product needs to dry for 2-4 days after demolding, depending on the thickness.
Notes
1. The thickness is not recommended to be too thick. If the agar is not completely dry, bacteria will easily grow. 2. The shrinkage rate of the agar material will be high during the drying process, especially the finished product with uneven thickness, which will form a very interesting organic shape. (I am this example) 3. If you need to form a whole piece of very average leather or plastic, you need to mold it evenly. 4. It can be made very thin. 5. Every step or different raw material ratio will cause great differences in function/shape and vision, so it is very experimental, and different people will have different preferences and preferences. direction. It's worth trial and error, the possibilities are endless.
Nature Material Experiment- HOW- Method 2
This method is more fun but takes more time and difficulty. There are many factors that reduce the success rate of cultivation. For example, the bacteria are polluted or the temperature is not suitable to grow, and so on.
Raw materials:
black tea/white sugar/water/original strain of kombucha = 2 tea bags/70g white sugar/1000g water/20ml strain mother liquor, Original strains (you can make it yourself (tea + vinegar + sugar fermentation), or you can buy it online (the latest Internet celebrity drink))
Accessories (visual/functional customization):
rose tea/green tea/scented tea/residual melon peel
Tools:
Electronic scales, measuring cups, containers, kettles
Process:
1. Add 2 tea bags to 1000g of water, boil water to make tea, add 70g of sugar to melt, and wait for the tea to cool to room temperature.
2. Add 20ml strain mother solution
3. Accessories (visual/functional customization), tea bags can be replaced with green tea/scented tea, and dragon fruit/banana/orange peel, and other fruits rich in sugar and cellulose of your favorite color can be added to the container. Bacteria of different colors.
4. Seal it with air-permeable paper or cloth, and place it in an environment of 20-25 degrees Celsius, shading it from light. Stand still (do not move!!)
5. In 1-2 weeks, a 1-3mm thick biofilm will be formed on the surface of the liquid, which is what we want.
6. The bacterial film can be dried in about 2-4 days after it is taken out.
Notes:
1. During the process, bacteria are prone to contamination during the process of bacterial growth or taking out to dry. Contamination is manifested as colonies of different colors when grown. During the drying process, the physical properties of the film may be changed after drying, such as becoming brittle. Let's do more experiments, and ask the master of microbiology for advice.
Summarize:
1. At present, it is mainly experimental. Share the experimental process, and provide inspiration and communication.
2. My direction is biased towards visual experiments, and this material experiment is used as a medium to respond. I have always been concerned about the art theme I am doing: Humans & Nature.
3. Designers, artists, and even scientists will have very different understandings and directions. The link at the beginning comes from William Myers's article What are Biodesign and Bioart and why should we care? It is really very good.
4. There are many potential possibilities, but they all come from experiments. What everyone likes and wants to achieve is different from person to person.
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