Wet Look

The controversial claim that we evolved from water gives testimony to the prevalence of aquaphilia. Wet-look latex; being dewy, moist or lush; hydroponics; all are emblematic of a fetishization of water. Rubber and raincoats afford us the convenience of exploring water without it hindering our quotidian needs. A fundamental constituent of and simultaneously essential for our bodies, water is life. But fetish and aversion mark different sides of the same coin—a magnetic pull toward either extreme. In a time where fluidity is increasingly vital to the functioning of society, a phobia of water threatens to segregate the wet from the dry, leaving no room for the in-betweens. Just because you’re wearing a raincoat, doesn’t mean you can’t get wet.