Unit 3

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Unit 3

Unit 3 project

In this unit, you will be working with moldmaking materials, replicas, casts and/or multiples of objects. We will be making flexible molds (using latex) and plaster to construct your objects. During the material demonstration at the beginning of this unit, we will discuss at length the best methods for producing cast goods from molds and other materials that you may use in the casting process.

1. Establishing shot:

You are to take digital images of an object you wish to take a mold from in its original location. Get detailed information about the location from which the object is taken, detail and distant shots of the space. Really define the space of origin in your photo-documentation. You will be exploring site in this unit and so the original site is very important! (If you don't have a camera, they are available for checkout through the checkout window on the 3rd floor of A&D, so all students should have access to some equipment to be able to take images). The object that you choose should be relatively small, larger than your fist, smaller than your head. Do not choose objects that have a lot of nooks and crannies, or undercuts. This will make it impossible to take a mold from the object. If you are unsure, please consult with me at the beginning of the unit.

2. Molds and casting:

Remove the object from its original location (only with permission or if you own it/purchase it, please do not steal anything for this project!) You will bring it to class and take a mold. You will cast copies of the object.

Consider what it means to make a copy. What is the difference between a copy and replica? How does the process yield interesting results? Do all objects from the same mold make the same form? Can you alter the form that comes from your mold in some way? Can you change the surface? What happens if you make molds from casts and then molds from future casts? How does the object change as it is further from the original form?

Explore these questions and other questions as you are working with the materials to find a method of engaging with the material that is satisfying to your intention.

3. Installation:

The object was removed from a site. Based on your chosen site, the significance of the object having been extracted from that site or other information that has become significant through your explorations of the object in this unit, you will construct a new installation site for the work. The object or objects will be placed into an installation of your design that reflects a relationship to the original site. It could be a complete re-siting of the work based on the alterations you have made to the original object by form or number of casts. It could be an amalgam of the original site and a new environment that elaborates the ways you have changed the object. It could be commentary on the nature of the original object or perhaps something that was once nostalgic and personal has been stripped of all of its definition and so fits better into a site that reflects this decay of memory or value. These are just examples, not expectations for your site. The installation should be something that matches the significance of the original object, how you have treated that object and the viewer's relationship to that object through your treatment of it. There can be millions of ways of approaching this so find one that is right on for you.

Materials

You will use a "found" object, latex and plaster for this project as core materials. You may wish to add paint, video, audio, photographs, cardboard, carpet, zip-ties, nails, lee press-on nails, (I'm being absurd here but you could add a lot of things to this project to create your installation!) etc. to create the installation and final presentation of the objects in your site.

Slide presentation:

Documentation:

Mark Dion: Thames Dig

Sophie Calle

Gabriel Orozco: Yielding Stone

mold making / casting:

Rachel Berwick

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Antony Gormley: Field projects

Gabriel Orozco: Citroen

Site of final work:

Joseph Beuys: I like America and America Likes Me