폐플라스틱을 활용한 장신구 연구

Abstract

Since its invention, plastic was introduced and continued to develop as a major material for modern jewelry. This study sheds new light on this process from by focusing on recycling. Specifically, I look at the development of discarded plastic in modern jewelry, by categorizing and analyzing works according to their method of expression and formative characteristics. The paper first establishes the qualities of plastic as material by examining its invention, development and types of plastic. I also surveyed different processing techniques for recycling discarded plastic. The paper then sketches out the general trend in plastic jewelry through representative examples. It explores the strengths of plastic jewelry by studying works by artists who have pioneered introduction of plastic or have manufactured their own plastic. This allowed me to deduce the following as aesthetic characteristics of plastic jewelry: innovation of values, fluidity of expression, technology-friendliness, and wearability. Based on this analysis, the paper analyzes the production process and defining characteristics of discarded plastic jewelry in comparison to more general plastic jewelry. The first stage of production starts out with collecting discarded plastic, driven by sensory stimulation or desire for collecting. Some artists went for minimum processing, while others sought new forms by restructuring pieces made out of deconstruction and dissociation. Physical distortion and transformation by heating is another representative production process, actively engaging with plastic’s fluidity of expression. These works can be categorized according to their characteristics into the following three groups: (1) collecting and imbuing values, (2) dissociation and restructuring, and (3) physical transformation. Lastly, this study affirms that the use of discarded plastic can help with environmental protection, regardless of individual artists’ aesthetic direction.