Rediscovering value through crafting plastic bags

Abstract

As a fibre artist, I have tried to create unique work that differentiates from contemporary art and historical art forms. One such attempt involves my work using plastic bags and the resulting outcomes, which began with my interest in yarn. Many factors determine the quality of a material but a common characteristic is that a textile has its roots in yarn. I questioned ‘what if the yarn changes? – that is, if the materials sourced for yarn production change, before conceptualizing a specific artefact, the yarn can become a unique fabric in itself’. After a long series of tests with different materials, I chose to use the plastic bag, which has astounding potential as an art/craft material. My aim was to return the practicality of an everyday object back into everyday life. By giving a new value to the plastic bags’ original function of holding and moving things, I intended to unveil questions of ‘utility’ and ‘meaning’. In addition to its physical properties and material potential, the plastic bag broadened my conceptual framework of meaningful craft practice. When plastic bags first appeared, they were a symbol of hygiene and convenience in modern life. However, this ground-breaking material has since turned out to be a main culprit of environmental destruction; these contradictory perspectives representing contrasting ‘values’. Through my extensive work with recycled plastic bags, mainly sourced through waste streams, I have discovered further values and realize that the utility and value of an object (existence) are not fixed, but are dependent on the gaze and attitude of the viewer or user. In this article, I convey what I have found and realized through hand crafted yarn production and weaving techniques and hope it will lead to the discovery of further values for new audiences.