31/01/2017 - WASTING PLASTER CAST

Before I started working on my wasting plaster cast, I first finished my latex reliefs by dusting them in talc and removing them from their clay bases. I was really pleased with how these came out, the latex had picked up the details perfectly, and as I hoped, the inverse carvings I used gave the inside edge of the latex a smooth, even finish. 

The naturalistic colour of the cured latex also added impact to the pieces, which could only be expected to darken further over time, thus giving the pieces an even earthier tone. The flimsy nature of the latex could make it hard to position and display, but it's translucent nature could be used along with lights/shadows or some sort of under layer to build up depth.

Once I was satisfied with the outcomes from my latex work, I then started work on my final cast. With a mallet and chisel I began chipping away through first the white, then blue layers of plaster. This process began to reveal the layers of mould I had built up as I was working, the different layers appearing almost the same as the sedimentary rock which would have built up in layers over the remains of organic life to make fossils. 
I photographed these layers to illustrate, and thought they held an aesthetic quality in their own right. The way I gradually liberated my piece from it's plaster carapace also held relevence as a sort of archaelogical excavation, it was fun and very satisfying to watch my work slowly appear from what seemed originally to be a messy lump of plaster.

This was reminiscent for me of the way in Chinese art. the methods and tools used in the creation of artwork add to it's story, just as gold laquered ink sticks and brushes made from the newborn hair of the artist are used to exalt and personalise the creative process. 

The sugar soap worked brilliantly and helped each piece fall easily away from the herculite cast. I hadn't expected the layers to be as easily seperable as they were. The level of detail passed from mould to cast was also very thorough, which also surprised me. In summary I really enjoyed using this method, more so than the simple open face clay moulds we created initially. This is not only because of the nature of slowly revealing a piece, but also because of the balanced sense of creation and destruction which is required throughout.Working in the positive like this also allowed me to correctly gauge the depth and size of my piece, unlike some of the smaller fossils which all came out at different thicknesses and depths.

Overall I had a lot of fun and learnt some very interesting things over the course of my SCULPTURE workshops. It was great to have the freedom of free clay and plaster to allow experimentation and really testing out lots of ideas and methods. I also tried to consider context and placement for my artwork throughout my idea development in response to my tutororial feedback and was really pleased with the several linked pieces I produced. I fully intend to complete my herculite casts with some sort of finishing stain, to make them appear more earthen, and then install them on location in the "Underground Gallery" underpass on St. Stephens Street.