Having not know what i was going to produce for the bishops art prize for most of this unit i am extremely happy with the outcome i have produce. I wanted to carry on developing my practise by exploring different casting styles which is exactly what i have done.
When i first brought the idea to the 3D workshop technicians they dismissed the possibilities of casting an organic form in concrete. Not wanting to fall at the first hurdle i began researching to see if anything like this has been done before with not much luck. After having further discussions with the technicians and drawing up possible options we came up with a process that seemed to be the most logical. At first i present the technicians with rather complicated plants to mould - this was a result of me not knowing the mould making process for silicone moulds and thus had to go back and get some organic material that was a lot easier suited to the casting process. Still not knowing for sure if the mould would work i pressed forward with the mould making. Once the silicone had set the task of removing the plant from the mould was extremely intricate and a very delicate process. I had to be light handed enough to not cut any unwanted areas yet still having to make cuts so each segment of the plant could be removable without snapping.
The first attempt of using the mould was with plaster which proved far too fragile for the mould and resulted in almost all the segments snapping off. However the segments that snapped off, i was able to see exactly where the silicone needed to be cut further.
It was then suggested by the technicians that they have a new material that may prove to be more suitable, jesmonite. At first i was reluctant to try it as it was a plastic based mixture and that wasn't the desired aesthetic i was going for. I then went away and researched into the material and found that it was sounded perfect for what i was wanting to use it for. The first cast in jesmonite worked perfectly and from then on i was able to produce multiples.
I was able to add colouring to the mixture to begin creating this monochrome palette. The reason i chose to use these colours was relating to the water being eradicated which would leave a very bleak environment behind. At first i wanted them to be very stone looking however i accidentally put too much colour in one mixture making it a dark grey, from that i decided to create the monochrome effect.
The succulent plants were used for their water retention purposes. I wanted to explore what the plant would look like if the water was removed and only the form would be left. Reflecting back on the brief and the story of Moses striking the rock to reveal the water; i envisaged this succulent that once retained water and then turned to stone being stuck and once again relieving water. This is then further emphasised by the sand that the plants are set in. I created flowing marks in the sand to represent the water flowing out and escaping. These marks look as if the water was flowing across the desert and then evaporated leaving behind these flowing wave like indentations. The overall aesthetic of the landscape is barren yet somewhat beautiful. It is though it is a memory of when water was flowing and life was abundant. The monochrome symbolising the end of colour/life but the sell is there as a reminder of what once was.
For the shoot the white background really works well with the black sand emphasising the high contrasts. I am uncertain how this will look in a gallery environment, whether the environment with complement it just as well or if it has less of an impact. This factor is something that i can not change however the contrast on the professional images is perfect for applying to my website, postcards, Instagram and any other professional matters in the future.
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