Naomi White American, b. 1970

(On Plastic Currents)

 

A current is a continuous, directed movement of water generated by the forces acting upon it, such as the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. Interaction with other currents transforms a current's direction and strength. In Plastic Currents, the everyday plastic bag is transformed by light, turned from something familiar into something strange. Undulating and fluid these forms transition from non-biodegradable, reviled plastic bags into seemingly organic forms, imitating the very nature they threaten. 

 

Through explorations of the material I am interested in the way plastic responds to touch, its surface, its weight, how it clings to lighter elements like lint and dirt through static electricity, and the way each bag is its own marvel. By isolating plastic bags, icons of waste and convenience, we are asked to consider our role in their affects, but also to question the transformative power of the photograph and its ability to reconcile a simple bag into something other worldly, full of possibilities.