Reductive Plaster
Project, Process, & Response
This project was assigned under the title of Technical Portfolio. With both wood and plaster we were to explore these new mediums, developing new approaches to creating. We were to create two free standing 3 dimensional forms that were visually interesting in the round. One with wood and one with plaster, taking into consideration form, primary contour, secondary contour, texture, patter, scale, volume, mass, linear structures, as well as positive and negative space.
In my process of exploring plaster, using the reductive method, I had many challenges. First, I had no idea how physically tiring it could be. Second, I had no idea that plaster could be such a sensitive material. I wanted to connect my figure drawing II work to my sculpture work, so I thought it would be interesting to create the pelvic bone out of plaster. This was my first time working with plaster and I did not recognize how difficult it was going to be to achieve this goal. Halfway through the reductive process my block split in half. At that point I thought it was a disaster but it was one of those things I like to call a 'happy accident'. Instead of fighting my material, which is what I was still doing with my wood, I decided to work with the block and respond to what it naturally wanted to do. That is how I found these forms within my plaster block.
Visually my plaster work is vaguely based on the relationship between the pelvic bones and the hips of the human figure. The forms I have created are inspired by Richard Serra's large-scale work and the figures I am working on in figure drawing II. By no means is this my favorite piece but I do think that I handled the challenges well and I got a lot out of the process.
This project was assigned under the title of Technical Portfolio. With both wood and plaster we were to explore these new mediums, developing new approaches to creating. We were to create two free standing 3 dimensional forms that were visually interesting in the round. One with wood and one with plaster, taking into consideration form, primary contour, secondary contour, texture, patter, scale, volume, mass, linear structures, as well as positive and negative space.
In my process of exploring plaster, using the reductive method, I had many challenges. First, I had no idea how physically tiring it could be. Second, I had no idea that plaster could be such a sensitive material. I wanted to connect my figure drawing II work to my sculpture work, so I thought it would be interesting to create the pelvic bone out of plaster. This was my first time working with plaster and I did not recognize how difficult it was going to be to achieve this goal. Halfway through the reductive process my block split in half. At that point I thought it was a disaster but it was one of those things I like to call a 'happy accident'. Instead of fighting my material, which is what I was still doing with my wood, I decided to work with the block and respond to what it naturally wanted to do. That is how I found these forms within my plaster block.
Visually my plaster work is vaguely based on the relationship between the pelvic bones and the hips of the human figure. The forms I have created are inspired by Richard Serra's large-scale work and the figures I am working on in figure drawing II. By no means is this my favorite piece but I do think that I handled the challenges well and I got a lot out of the process.