«Between leaves: Portraits and explorations in front of the banana palm»

Autonomous University Corporation of Nariño

In his 1971 "Parábola de la hoja de plátano," Eames (as cited in Koenig, 2015) explains his vision of functionality in design, drawing from the caste system in India and its food practices, using banana leaves as an example, which become a traditional, 100 percent natural alternative, being recyclable, easy to use and dispose of (Put Chutney, 2015).

In his unpublished short film Banana Leaf, Eames (1972) exalts the importance of this organic resource, within the food tradition of this culture, being this a democratizing practice that involves consumers, through different castes or social levels, within a holistic and multisensory experience, based on the direct use of the fingers, leaving aside the use of utensils or cutlery (Put Chutney, 2015).

Parallel to a research process associated with the use of the leaves as packaging and support for the preparation of food, a direct contact with the banana palm is developed to generate a creative exercise based on photography, a visual resource that allows the immediate experience with the product, its growth, morphology, textures and colors to be evidenced.