I seem to be on a roll with my plaster busts at the moment with lots of ideas for new ones and just the long-winded process of making them lagging behind my imagination. Anyway, here's introducing Maestro - I think she was a top violinist in an obscure eastern European orchestra - with a penchant for African neck coils!
This shows the silicone mould being peeled back from the plaster cast - it's weird to see negative and positive versions of the face at the same time.
The first coat of silicone poured over my original sculpture - created as always from real materials and objects.
The violin is balancing on a model pear - I love the shape of pears, so three-dimensional and better than apples or oranges because asymmetric in form.
The scary moment of peeling back the silicone from the first cast! Luckily it worked out fine, my mould-making skills have improved a lot since I first started this collection a couple of years ago. All trial and error!
I'm trying out some new styling ideas when I photograph the busts. In this shoot I included just low-key objects and materials - folded newspaper, a black plastic bag and the bucket I use for left over dried plaster. I want the busts to look weird and contemporary so am experimenting with more unusual contexts. If you have a crazy idea for settings please comment!!!
I'm really in to these fan shapes at the moment - I like the crispness and rythmn. More coming soon...........
Massive thanks to the wonderful Adelina for arranging and uploading this post!! Regulars to my blog will know she interned for me for well over a year while she was at art college in England. She's now back in Romania and has just landed her first job in the design world (I knew it wouldn't take her long!) but she's very kindly volunteered to keep handling all the images in my posts and she is SO MUCH better than me at making visual stories from the picutres so I am very grateful. Thanks Adelina!!
p.s. - she's got a post up at the moment of shots she'd taken in my studio - really interesting to see it through someone else's camera lense.
Another winner! Trial and error is fun if not scary isn't it? Your last photo all black and white with a shot of geometric hot pink is a great photo. I love the contrast of traditional with contemporary and the black and white against the hot pink. Black is a good background with just a shot of modern colour. What about an area of spray painted graffiti? Not sure how but as a small area like the pink maybe. That was the first thing that came to mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks Len! It's interesting to hear that you read the photo as contemporary because sometimes when I look at them I feel they just look too old-style and 'period'. So great to know. I agree it works to have just a small area of colour better than lots - more subtle and more impact.
ReplyDeleteKathy
Kathy, your figurines speak to my heart. I have always adored concrete busts and figurines. Yours take these wonderful characters to a new level. The workmanship shows the love you have for your work...the detail awe-inspiring. I always enjoy seeing what new creations you have...thanks for keeping life interesting with art. My best, Cynthia http://aloveofthepast-cynthia-blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI just had time to read the new post.
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome, it's always a pleasure to help with your blog. I too love the new styling methods! I agree on the black background, perfect for your figurines!
What about the same background animated with similar random objects like a pair of worn shoes or a bitten apple, a dirty tea mug etc.
With this ever increasing collection of busts it became so hard to pick favourites!!