Plastic has lost its allure and become a derogatory word affiliated with ecological pollution. But is it finding a new expression with artists and designers?
The recently opened "Plastic Surgery" exhibition is opening the 11th Israeli Season of Design in Holon, and shows the works of Israeli designers and artists expressing the contemporary relationship to plastic, with all its components and dual meanings.
A bouquet of balloons by Shuli Wolf © Avi Amsalem
Plastic is a part of our lives for better or worse. It is a name for a wide variety of synthetic materials that can be malleable into almost any form. In ancient times, man used natural plastic materials like resin taken from trees. In the 1950's, the polypropylene material was invented, which was used to make plastic bottles, furniture, cars and more. Over time, plastic has lost its allure, and it became a derogatory word and a synonym for a soulless, toxic, and cheap material. At the same time, the world cannot disengage from plastic for all its modern applications - from the toy industry for children, to 3D printing and technological devices.
Transparent plastic hemisphere by Daniel Feldhaker © Avi Amsalem
Excessive use of plastic has seriously damaged the environment - and the global awareness of recycling and reuse is back in full power. The design and art worlds give it expression. The works in this exhibition are conducting a "plastic analysis", or surgery, for plastic products, objects and scraps, and turning them into visually engaging and conceptual works, along with a personal statement by each of the participants of the exhibition.
Curtain from plastic glue by Rosa Ben Ari © Avi Amsalem