Throughout this workshop participants will pair experimental casting methods with traditional mold-making to create work that is first classical and then distorted.
Students will learn the basics of several casting materials and methods on the first day, only to turn them on their heads during the second. We will cover how to cast with wax, plaster, and resin (Silcast II) into our own silicone molds, and then push each material past its conventional use to achieve curious and surprising results.
During the first day, we will each make a small life-cast from our own bodies (fingers, toes, heels, elbows, etc.). We will also pour a silicone mold of a small object you bring from home.
On day two, we will begin casting into our silicone molds and “found molds” in several materials, experimenting with each along the way. We will pigment our resins, reshape and resculpt our waxes as they cool, and use our found object molds to create negative space casts. Students may choose to incorporate their new life-casting skills as well. All molds and casts you produce in class will be yours to keep!
Please bring in two small objects to choose from (less than 3 inches in diameter) to make your silicone mold on our first day – it may be subject to some wear and tear, so nothing you absolutely can’t live without. Also, please wear work clothes – we are going to get messy!
Participants should be high school age or older.
Mary Hill is an artist and professional mold-maker. She has previously produced works for Richard Prince, Louise Bourgeois, and Richard Jackson, among others. For the past three years, she has been casting large-scale silicone and resin sculptures for Paul McCarthy.