While summer crept into the small Brooklyn studio, textile artist Maria Romero and I poured our own liquid agar concoctions onto textile scraps and into free standing structures. We trapped chamomile petals, cochineal powder, turmeric and madder inside the transparent jelly to infuse bright saturated hues. After the first round of results, we learned that the bioplastic hardens the moment it is removed from the heat and shrinks by one third as it sets, therefore we are now meticulous when making molds of distinct size and incorporating color. When we discovered that fungi settle home in the thick layers, we adjusted the recipe until the batter spread into thin flexible sheets. Each repetition of the process strengthens our relationship with the foreign material and introduces us to unforeseen future creations.
