Souvenirs - 3.5 x 2.5’ mixed media
So this is the Sculpture project I’ve been working on for, um, 5 weeks. It has been an experience in trial and mostly error.
The original idea was based on a photograph called “The Quiet Cane Toads” (barely visible here) by Cary Wolinsky. I spent the first thee weeks trying to figure out a way to replicate 30 life-sized toads, all of which failed. This was my first lesson in casting molds.
My professor, Barbara Rhoades, originally recommended clay and plaster, but undercuts destroyed the five delicately carved toads I’d created, using Wolinsky’s photograph and a few toad statuettes as visual guides.
Then, I spent too much time fiddling with latex and clay, watching the project’s deadline come and go. As I was about to go out and spend fifty bucks on air-dry clay, Matt said “Why are you trying to replicate the photograph? Why don’t you come up with your own idea?”
What I loved about the original photograph were the clothespins that sealed shut the mouths of the dead toads, and the great implied lines they made, each shelf pointing in the opposite direction. “Clothespins” led to “hey, nipples!” - which led to boobs, which was a good idea, because a boob has no undercuts when it’s cast in a jug of geltrate. Boobs are also easy to cast in plaster, so boobs it was.
It only took four geltrate molds, over fifty pounds of commercial-grade plaster and 30 casts to get it kind of right. I used two different molds: One is pretty much based on my body; the other deformed boob was carved down to resemble the soft puffiness of a non-erect nipple.
Once each boob cast had dried, I buffed it with a high-count sand paper and painted each with different mixed acrylic skin tones, generally sticking to yellow ochre, crimson, burnt umber, burnt sienna, titanium white and violet. I used gesso as a white base on some of the casts, and it had the benefit of not chipping off, but also left a dull, cartoony hue. When I switched to titanium white, the paint really started flaking off, so I sealed all the casts with a high-gloss acrylic spray (probably too much Big Black Wet Asses). This helped a little, but most of the casts are chipped. Na ja.
I painted the clothespins with colors based on Wolinsky’s picture, and - with Matt’s help - built the shelf from masonite, MDF and scrap pine from around the house. I spray-painted the shelf brown (which sucked up 5 cans; acrylic house paint would have fared better), then scratched it up with sandpaper and sealed it with a matte acrylic spray. I used wood glue to adhere the boobs to the shelf, which was messy and left residue on the MDF.
I forgot to make sure the clothespins actually stayed clamped down on the nipples. It took three kinds of glue (white, gorilla and crazy) to secure all 30 clothespins to the boobs. This destroyed a lot of the painted nipples and took way too long. But it’s done.
Although the overall compositional effect is there, this project turned out sloppier than I intended, and the time and money (not to mention - what the fuck am I going to do with a big, heavy shelf covered in tits?) won’t show much of a return on the investment. But the process was interesting, and as a first-year sculpture project, I think it’ll do.
My professor just called to let me know that it probably won’t be accepted into the Spring ‘08 NCCU student show, because this is the third “adult-themed” project I’ve completed for school. Still, I’m hauling this fucker to campus tonight, so the jurors can at least wonder what’s wrong with my brain.
More photos here.
(p.s. any real photographers? tips on how to photograph this would be very much appreciated)
