Experiments in Sand

Model John Lee agreed to let John and I try something new.  John Lee was originally recruited to be a subject for our Scar Project, since his inner arm bears a significant scar from an accident with pane glass from when he was six years old.  Not willing to repeat ourselves, since we were casting another arm, we decided to create a solid cast in such a way as to make them seem to emerge from a solid base.  We used sand to achieve this result.  Our model buried his hands in sand enclosed in a box, and then we filled the box with alginate (see below).  It used up a lot of alginate, and we certainly could brainstorm a more efficient solution, but this was an experiment that we felt we should try.  Once the alginate had set, we removed our subject from the mold, and flipped it over in the same box for casting.  Any excess plaster poured above the mold, would thus form the base of the sculpture.

If we had had our way, we would have avoided getting any sand in the plaster.  However, with all the sand clinging to the alginate, it was impossible to get the non-body parts of the mold clean.  There was no doubt that when we poured plaster into this mold, the sand would transfer to the casting.  Plenty of sand also fell into the parts of the mold that represented his arms and fingers, but we were able to blow that out with compressed air.  Unfortunately, this will not work as a permanent solution, since the compressed air damaged the mold in places.  Also the remnants of sand in the mold tinted the plaster in the arms and fingers.  While this effect was not undesirable, we would have preferred that it was by choice rather than by chance.

In the end, however, the sand along the surface of the base made for a nice contrast with the arms.  This contrast only served to emphasize the look of arms emerging from the base as if partially submerged in a fluid.  Again, this was not an undesirable effect, but we would like to find alternatives, so that next time if there is sand in the sculpture, it is there only because we wanted it to be there.

All in all, we felt that end result was successful and beautiful.  The piece could use some finishing to polish away some of the marks of the mold-making process.  But John and I were pleased that we have taken another positive step in the direction of making more exciting work in this medium.