Plissé
Personal Research Experiment . Los Angeles, California . 2018
Material : Taffeta and Sateen Fabrics
Process
Day 1: Two containers A and B - Kombucha culture placed in fermentation liquid (water, brewed green tea, sugar and vinegar).
Day 7: Translucent biofilm and fermentation bubbles accumulate on the surface.
Day 12: Container A: Biofilm has reached about 1/8” of thickness. Sample A is harvested.
Test 1: Sample A is molded onto cardstock paper and left to dry. Dried biofilm adhers to the mold and tears during demolding.
Test 2: Sample A is molded onto a resin form and left to dry. To ease demolding, the biofilm is slightly misted. The biofilm demolds but loses the geometric details.
Day 24: Container B: Biofilm has reached about 1/2” of thickness. Sample B is harvested and stretched to air dry.
Sample B Biofilm has dried to a thickness of 1/16". It's translucent and highly textured.
A folding pattern is lasercut onto sample B
Sample B is folded into an origami. The object is soft and leather-like. It smells edible and citrusy. The crease lines are flexible.
In 2025, after 7 years, the object has darkened in color but it has retain its softness, flexibility and scent.