Project Description:
Creating clay molds with plaster to communicate the idea of Kitsch
Process:
For this project, I originally had no idea what to use as a “kitsch” object. No items at my current disposal fitted the definition. Luckily, I was able to go home the following weekend and pick up two Christmas ornaments: a snowman and a nutcracker.
However, I had a few worries about these items. Since they were so small, there was a risk that plaster would get trapped in the small crevasses of the ornament, making it difficult to remove. Despite this, my snowman mold was a complete success, although the same can’t said for Mr. Nutcracker, who was sadly damaged during the mold-making phase.
From there, the rest of the procedure went smoothly. Combined with the apple that was also molded, I made a total of 4 snowmen and 3 apples.
Putting everything together…
The form I crafted had a specific concept.
On one end, there are three snowmen placed on two apples as if they are consuming the fruits. However, on the opposite side, the roles are reversed, as a rogue apple has become the predator and an innocent snowman became the prey.
To make it a dynamic piece, the apples were cut and adhered all around the cylinder. This allowed it to stand at various angles while still keeping the theme. Similar to some problems that my peers were experiencing, I had to create more parts than intended due to dryness and then disintegration.
After Bisque Fire
After Paint Completion
Final Observations:
I feel like my theme was accomplished in the way my piece was painted. Just how I said earlier, a story was being told.
Having the contrast between the black and white reflects the two sides. The white depicts purity as the different colored snowmen are just innocently eating their lunch while the darkness, represented by black, absorbs two victims in its territory. I also included a dot gradient varying in size to smooth the color transition.