(24/1/19) Myth-Making Reflection

On the 23rd of January, I had my first lecture on “Myth-Making”, for the first week I learned about “mythologies” such as Plato’s Allegory of the cave, George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, and the philosophies of Roland Barthes.

During this, I read a page of Barthes plastic in Mythologies, whilst reading he described plastic as more  a material of infinite possibilities, that its a miracle of materials and even said “A miracle is always a sudden transformation”, he even talked about it being compared to other materials effusiveness such as rubber and flat hardness of metal, and genuine produce such as foam, fibers, and strata.

Next, I had to identify an object and find examples of it using different materials

Here are the ones I included:

• Money notes
• Fingernails
• Watches
• Chopping boards
• Bowls
• Chairs
• Tents
• Tables
• Body prosthetics
• Buttons

The best example I gave was Body prosthetics because we really have come a long way from wooden legs, hook hands etc, because nowadays we can 3D print plastic hands with moveable fingers, and in case of a scenario if the hand is broken, it can always be 3D printed again under the same program file. There are even some that are completely functioned by the user’s mind.

Has it made me think differently about my discipline or my own practice as an individual?

Not really, I still see plastic how it is “a dominant material”, in many ways plastic has helped due to it being easy, cheap and safe (if used probably), In other words we wouldn’t be where we are today, plastic has helped us Create new inventions, toys, equipment and has even helped the environment with there imitation products such as tables, chairs, and various tools. With plastic, we have more opportunities and possibilities to go beyond limitations, we can make things easy, safe and eco-friendly. As for my own practice I see it being useful since it provides me with the right tools I need such as my equipment and leftover materials I can use for making or as a pallet for paint, glue and other substances.