Jessie French: Cultivating a Sea of Sustainable Creativity
Image source: jessiefrench.com
Words by: Alexi Freeman
Slimy, spongy, gelatinous and capable of growing vast underwater forests and flourishing in microfarms across diverse environments, algae’s unassuming exterior belies its remarkable potential as a regenerative powerhouse connecting water, air and earth. With a deft efficiency surpassing its land-based counterparts, algae adeptly transform carbon dioxide into life-enabling oxygen and experimental artist Jessie French is picking up what algae are putting down.
In a world grappling with the environmental toll of industries like textiles – contributing a staggering 8% of global carbon emissions – French is riding the crest of a green movement harnessing algae for sustainable fabrication materials, propelling us towards a post-petrochemical future. French’s artefacts are contextualised through the lens of a growing community of startups and global visionaries, including Neri Oxman , Algiknit, Eric Klarenbeek/Maartje Dros , Daan Roosegaarde, Charlotte McCurdy , Roya Aghighi and Scarlett Yang . All united in channelling algae's potential for eco-friendly design innovations.
To understand the genesis of French's research, we journey back 420 million years through fossil records and further still, back to 3.5 billion years, unearthing apparitions of algal photosynthesis in the primordial swamp. These ancient organisms, instrumental in the development of fossil fuels, raise poignant questions about our reliance on finite resources. French's discursive practice adds a cosmic twist to this narrative, inviting us to question whether our dependence on ancient algae undermines our planet's ability to support life. The solution, she posits, lies in exploring the uncharted waters of 'new' algae – envisaging a transformative shift toward integrating living systems into design artefacts. French's practice delves deeply into the potential of algae-based innovation, a niche field mitigating the environmental impacts of not only design but also agriculture, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Recognising the power of aligning her professional skills with personal ideologies, French shifted to algae-based bioplastic research, founding her experimental design studio OTHER MATTER in 2020. Dedicated to using algae-derived polymers to craft "objects, experiences and futures" , French often infuses her materials with the vibrant hues of microalgae Arthrospira platensis – an organism forming the basis of petroleum oil. OM studio operates alongside her existing artistic practice, enabling French to “walk the walk of the concepts explored through materiality and sustainability” . Opening OM marked an important shift in her professional trajectory, making space to “work for clients as a material producer, educator or consultant.”
These experiments have evolved into a captivating array of discursive artefacts curated into noteworthy exhibitions at the Institute of Modern Art, the 23rd Biennale of Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria demonstrating the ascent of French's work into the upper echelons of groundbreaking biodesign.
“The Myth of Nature - agaGI“ (2022) by Jessie French exhibited at The 23rd Biennale of Sydney. Photo credit: All Media
French said, "(My) work explores the meaning and value of the ephemeral; placing value in things that don’t last beyond our lifetimes and challenging our obsession with the idea of ‘built-to-last’, which largely fails to consider the ecological and social impacts of this everlasting durability." This design ethos challenges our societal fixation on durability, prompting us to reevaluate our relationship with the material world. French’s oeuvre invites contemplation of the qualitative value of the ephemeral, fostering a critical examination of our ecological and social responsibilities in a rapidly changing world.
French continues to deepen her exploration of ephemerality through artefacts designed to biodegrade, scrutinising the transitory nature of existence and challenging our fixation on heirlooms within the realm of design. In her own words, French asks “Why is it that objects that leave a geological mark lasting an epoch are so readily available, with prices not accounting for their enduring environmental burden? ” Through her hybrid fusion of creative practice with scientific methodologies, French grows bridges between experimental fields that were previously isolated.
Three vessels of live Athrospira platensis microalgae sit on the desk. These are the first organisms known to have produced oxygen on Earth, and still produce between 50-80% of the oxygen in each breath we take. Image credit: All Media
In 2024 , French embarks on a groundbreaking project to develop a sustainable alternative to PVC adhesive film, a petrochemical material heavily used in many industries including exhibitions, transport, packaging, electronics and construction. This initiative underscores French’s longitudinal commitment to pioneering sustainable solutions, collaborating with plastic theory luminaries such as plastic degradation specialist Dr. Julieanne Bell and new materials adoption for museums with international consultant Kim Kraczon and museum conservator Jessica Walthew. Their collective aim? To reshape material practices in museums and exhibitions, culminating in a unique program centred on bioplastic innovation at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
Example of French’s algae-based alternative to petroleum-based PVC vinyl used for exhibition display signage. Photography: Tobias Titz courtesy of RMIT Design Hub.
Through years of intensive research and development, Jessie French has forged an extraordinary collection of algae-based artefacts that transcend the shallow waters of aesthetics, embodying renewal, reusability and circularity. Her work is a testament to the transformative potential of creative practice scaffolded by scientific methodologies and research. As she continues pushing boundaries, French's experimental algae-based biomaterials are poised to open new frontiers where art, design and ecology harmoniously converge.
A lingering waft of saltiness hangs in the ether, prompting the question: where will Jessie French's submersion into the world of algae-based biodesign lead us next? Only time will unveil the next critical frontier for ecological innovation and what French's tacit knowledge of algae brings to the intersection of design and ecological consciousness. Hopefully, it won't take another 3.5 billion years for the rest of us to get on board this transformative journey towards a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence with our planet.