The Age of Gutta-Percha

A century ago, gutta-percha was everywhere. Its over-harvesting in Malaysia and several other Asian countries led to a sustainability problem and market collapse. But then modern plastics came along. Today its usage is confined almost exclusively to the medical/dental fields (because of its bioinertness). I was surprised to learn there wasn’t a single video on all of YouTube dedicated to looking back at the age of gutta-percha and all the forms it took in the Victorian era. I think gutta-percha is interesting in itself, as a bygone medium for material expression, artistic expression, but also as an early study in Colonialist greed and exploitation, and foolhardy short-sightedness.