"failure is always an option"

it felt a little like thisaltho, if you'd like a more tuneful version, this is a good approximation. . . thankfully, it wasn't as involved as this:
Marc Quinn's Self
.
(Quinn's the guy who also sculpted Alison Lapper Pregnant, which was on The Fourth Plinth for a while. . . you'll remember my Gormley Fourth Plinth experience from last summer. . . or possibly not!)
(altho, actually, that is the sort of Gormley experience I'd like to have!)
.
this is what we've been up to, here at I,LTV Towers. . .The Teen is creating and perfecting his preparations for his upcoming art exam - topic "cycles and rhythms" - no simple mamby-pamby painting for my boy (atho I can't think why not, he's fairly adept with a paint brush); initially I was acting as mask maker, he was the subject whose face was being covered in bandages and plaster of Paris and Mini-Teen was self appointed photographer; in the next round (now he's experienced it first hand) The Teen'll be casting Mini-Teen and I'll be taking photos
Teen Too just laughed a lot but then, quite bizarrely, there was something eerily spooky about the finished mask, which The Teen cast in wax, which caused a shiver up the spine. . .

of course, none of us had actually researched how to do this properly (The Teen as student, my good self as discrete adviser) and so there were a few slip-ups and various learning experiences along the way (the best way to learn, I always think, during the experience) and at one of the more critical moments I felt the need to utter The Mythbuster's fave phrase. . .

. . .no, not "my t-shirt is better than your t-shirt" or "DISCO SUCKS" but FIAAO

8 comments:

Zig said...

fantastic! But be careful with plaster of p - it get get very hot.

I love art projects, *sigh* happy times :)

Dave said...

Lovely.

Vicus Scurra said...

Art. Yes, I've heard of it.

Mel said...

Oh gosh--the kiddos at work periodically do masks. I gotta say, they're a bit eerie....and way lots of fun! :-)

And you're the photographer--how cool is that?
Very!
.......as long as you don't misplace the cord.....LOL

Spadoman said...

Very good. Sounds like fun, too!
My Grandson wore a mask with a Star Wars costume one Halloween. He didn 't like the mask at all and said he'll never ever wear one. I wonder what he didn't like about it from that side of it, as I hear many of you say they are errie from this side.
Sounds like a great experience to be a part of the teen's life.

Peace.

mig said...

That must have been such fun. And so interesting that something made directly from a real face is eerie.
Art imitating life and adding a dimension.
Good luck to the teen with his exam.

Christopher said...

Very sophisticated! I did this occasionally with my kids - at school, that is - only we used papier maché, newspaper to start with (probably The Sunday Post) then kitchen paper as the mask gained substance so that it could be painted when dry. Good fun.

I, Like The View said...

well, Mini-Teen has had her fair face masked now. . .

. . .I'd show you photos, only The Teen forgot to charge the camera so I couldn't take any

:-/