The vast majority of Moore’s plaster maquettes, where he tested out ideas, were never enlarged or cast in bronze, and despite their inventiveness, the plasters remain unrecorded in the six-volume catalogue raisonné of the artist’s sculpture. Moore himself was acutely aware of the psychological and aesthetic changes occurring in his sculptures once cast from plaster to bronze, and a number were only created in plaster. This often provides the sculpture with a more intense and disturbing quality, especially those plasters made in the immediate post-war era when artists like Moore were exploring tense and angular forms in his treatment of the figure. In plaster a sculpture’s surfaces can appear scarred – each incised line clearly marked – unlike the subtle patination of the bronzes with more unified surfaces. Their inherent fragility can allow more questioning of the vulnerability of the subjects depicted (in Moore’s case, mother and child, reclining figures, fallen warriors). They convey an immediacy unlike the bronzes, which are a stage removed. Yet these are the very objects that the artist created, textured with a variety of household tools and sometimes hand coloured. Some guests built houses, bowls, and shoes.Until recently plasters made by sculptors have been seen as a means to an end rather than as works of art in their own right. Many sculptures were abstract, where kids tried to build as tall of a structure as they could. It was a busy Sunday in the studio, and I found myself continually prepping plaster strips and tissue paper until the very end of the day as guests devoured the opportunity to work with a medium that was new to most. On the third table, guests used the tissue paper (that was prepped and cut into about 3” area pieces beforehand) and painted using the liquid starch to apply the tissue paper. After choosing their three items, they used rolls of masking tape to construct the framework for their sculptures.Īt the second station guests dipped plaster strips in cups of water and solidified their forms. Types of cardboard included paper towel rolls, old packaging tape rolls, paper cones, and rectangular scraps. Plaster adheres well to cardboard and paper supplies, as well as organic-shaped balloon forms. As a guide to get guests started, they could choose three “objects” to use as a framework for their sculpture. The project was divided up into three tables in order to clearly layout the steps, and contain the wet plaster to designated working stations. In the nature of the Studio’s art activities, this project felt very open-ended. Colorful feathers could also be “glued” in place with the liquid starch as a fun addition that gave the forms another texture and dimension. Using liquid starch as an adhesive, the tissue paper stuck to the sculptures well, without having to apply much pressure with the small chip brushes. Instead, in Eric Carle fashion, I experimented using tissue paper to apply to the semi-wet sculpture. I considered providing paint for the structures, but trying to paint the wet plaster could be frustrating for younger guests, as well as damaging the paint brushes by filling them with wet plaster. So, I wanted a way to bring color to the project. White gauze plaster, while great for creating curved forms, is a little plain to look at. Also, it’s fun and messy! The plaster would act as a great medium for creating sculptural forms that were easily malleable when wet, and exceptionally sturdy when dry. Shape and structure build off of one another and the artist can fully engage with his or her materials. Working in three-dimensions adds a whole extra element to art making. Diana asked me if I wanted to incorporate the plaster into a special activity, and I liked the idea of creating sculptural forms. The basis for my project originally came from some rolls of plaster gauze we found hidden away during storage spring cleaning. Recently one of the Art Studio Summer Interns, Allison Shilling, a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, designed a special activity for our Museum guests.
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