Art and the Body Assignment

Basic Sculpture ARS 270

12:15–2:55 & 3:05–5:45 M &TH

Keith Hoyt Adjunct Professor of Art

Office Hours: Wed. 11:00- 2:00 and by appointment.

Office:  (845) 257-3826 x2

Mobile: (845) 399-2885

hoytk@newpaltz.edu

Casting and Mold-Making Assignment

Object and the Body

           

The figure is perhaps one of the most referenced and familiar subjects in art.  From the Venus of Willendorf (2400 BCE) to Oliver Herring’s Gloria 2004 artists have been representing, abstracting and manipulating the image of the human figure.  

            This assignment is concerned with how you will approach the body in a three dimensional context.  The methods you will employ will range from life casting using Alginate, a life casting material developed for the dental industry.  Alginate is hypoallergenic and very safe to use.  Alginate can replicate the finest detail including fingerprints.  You will be provided enough alginate to make a mold of two small body parts a hand or foot or ear for example or a larger part your face perhaps.  If you wish to work on a larger part or section of the body you may purchase additional alginate.  The second part of the assignment will be to cast a positive pattern from your mold and then make a plaster mold of this pattern.  Alginate molds are too weak to make more than one positive from so a stronger mold is needed to produce multiples.  From your plaster mold you may make parts from many different materials. We will make parts using slip cast ceramic. Slip is inexpensive and an easily cast material that can make exact duplicates that can be fired as is or manipulated while in its green state before it becomes bone dry.  You will be required to make 20 slip casts of the body part or parts you have chosen to replicate.

            The parts you have cast will be used as a raw material.  You may use them as is or modify and manipulate them as you see fit.  Consider how these parts will engage the viewer.  How will you display the work?  What other elements can you combine with your body parts?  Will this be an object, part of an installation or performance? The conceptual direction the work will take is up to you.

Before you begin you must produce 10 sketches defining the direction of this piece. 

Objectives:

Make an Alginate mold of one or more body parts.

Make a plaster positive of your body part from the alginate mold.

Make a plaster mold for slip casting from your plaster body part.

Cast a minimum of 20 slip casts from your mold.

Manipulate, reconfigure or deconstruct your parts.

Assemble them into an object or installation or performance or…………