A fashion photographer gives us a fresh take on the ubiquity of plastic.

Plastic never fully decomposes. Over time it goes through a process of photo degradation and may break down into smaller and smaller pieces.  But as of this moment, every bit of plastic that has ever been created will never totally disappear.  What does it take to look at plastic differently, the remains of bottles, plastic wrap, straws and containers that are everywhere? What can we do to make them work for us, instead of throwing them into an “away” that doesn’t really exist?

Tomaas presents us with a view of plastic that has us consider the potential beauty of a material that we have a complex and inextricable relationship with.  The Plastic is the New Black series uses commonplace  items to embellish models with the very substance that surrounds all of us daily. The photographer’s context makes us see the medium in a new light – not that of trash, but fashion.

A German, Tomaas has spent most of his career working in New York. Originally a travel photographer, fashion and beauty seem a natural choice for him. His clean, boldly contrasting studio work lends itself to a certain, pristine conceptual expression. This series is a case in point.

What was your motivation for Plastic Fantastic?

Tomaas:  Prior to Plastic Fantastic…I’d shot a story called Eco-Beauty, using everyday materials.  It was published in several international magazines and exhibited at the Icon Gallery in NYC.  The team I worked with had such fun that we decided to do a similar shoot but focus on one material alone.  The more we researched, the more we became aware of plastic.  It’s everywhere and it’s so versatile. You could almost say that among materials, plastic is the “new black.” The story is an ode to this material.

We may not be ready to abandon our natural fibers and breathable fabrics.  But considering the ubiquity of the medium, and the fact that it isn’t going away any time soon, perhaps Tomaas is on to something.

Eco, trends, art, creativity and how they tumble through social media to shape culture fascinate EcoSalon columnist Dominique Pacheco. Her personal blog, mixingreality, speaks to these topics daily, and here at EcoSalon, she takes a weekly look at the intersection of eco and art. We call it heARTbeat.

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