Whilst experimenting with creating moulds of crystals, I returned to researching the use of skulls by artists such as Damien Hirst and John LeKay. They are both well rehearsed in using the symbol in their work, something that I would like to further explore.
I wanted to combine the idea of crystals, insects, skulls and resin all in one.
I ordered this mould immediately to begin experimenting.
I was inspired by many things:
Gel candles.
Orgone Pyramids:
FlowerCrystals:
Jack Storms:
Formaldehyde Jars:
I decided:
If there are so many incredible ways of creating transparent pieces of art using resin, glass, clear liquid, gel - in so many different shapes and sizes (crystals, jars, bottles, pyramids, spheres, flowers, candles) then what is stopping me from creating an incredible transparent piece in the shape of a skull?
I began to research and found an artist who creates resin art in the shape of a skull.
Polyrcreations
https://polyrcreations.deviantart.com/
Polyrcreations is a resin artist who prefers to be anonymous behind their work. The only description of the artist behind these powerful works is on their deviantart page, as follows:
"I'm retired military and have rekindled my artful creativity on the medium of resin. I had a passion for art in my younger years and let it go when I joined the military at age 19. In 2012 I purchased some polyester resin out of sheer curiosity. I found myself experimenting with colors and shapes, encapsulating insects and objects. I then discovered I could sculpt rings, and pendants and larger sculptures. I love the satisfaction of pouring a block of resin with colors and objects then grinding it into a unique shape. I love hand sanding, buffing and polishing to end up with a colorful smooth brilliant piece full of luminescent qualities."
- https://polyrcreations.deviantart.com/
The image above is the first image I saw of Polyrcreations.
I was drawn immediately by the use of natural materials, alongside the natural, flowing textures of the blue resin inside the clear to create a water-like effect.
I am impressed by the beautiful blend between macabre and relaxing. The skull itself is intimidating and reminiscent of death, but the calming composition of the shells inside say otherwise. It is initially confusing, because of how out-of-place the shells seem to be in the cranium of a skull. But the features tie together to create a beautiful, oddly soothing memento mori.
As if by fate, I even came across a piece by Polyrcreations involving the suspension of an insect in the back of a skull.
I love the way that the skull is immediately recognisable as a crystal skull, but the spider is hidden on first glance. The viewer must travel to the back of the skull in order to acknowledge the surprise spider inside, which creates a stark juxtaposition to the beauty of the clear resin.
I enjoy the way that the light naturally refracts through the shaped resin in order to create the spectrums seen in the image on the left hand side.
My favourite part about this piece is that it is multi-dimensional. The front, side and back views of this crystal skull all give a different experience of viewing, and the direction of the light further effects the viewer's experience.
I would like to construct a similar piece using my own insects and my own creations with crystals.
I made some shuttering to hold my mould upside down using wood and a glue gun.
Then, I filled it to the brim with freshly mixed plaster. I made sure to lubricate the mould with vaseline first.
24 hours later, the plaster had dried fully and taken shape of the mould.
It was very difficult to remove, but the results were incredible.... Apart from the flat head.
The fact that the plaster skull has a flat head was my own fault. I did not account for the weight of the plaster when filling the mould. Gravity meant that the bottom of the mould sunk and created a flat top.
Otherwise, I was massively impressed with the mould. The details are incredible and the skull itself is solid and successful for what I was trying to do.
I wondered if I could use the flat-skulled skull to do something interesting.
I considered hollowing out the skull and filling the hollow head with resin and insects/crystals, which would create a multidimensional piece for the viewer.
The viewer have to lean over and peer into the skull to see the contents on the inside of the skull. I could use this to my advantage by either making the inside of the skull more appealing, or less appealing than the outside.
For example, if I coated the outside of the skull with diamonds, the inside full of insects may not be as appealing. Whereas on the other hand, if I left the skull plain white plaster and filled the inside with insects and crystals, the inside would be the focal point of the sculpture and evoke a stronger reaction from the viewer.
If I had the time and funds I would have experimented with both of these possibilities.
My second attempt at creating a plaster skull with a ROUND cranium rather than a flat one:
This time to avoid the flat head, I suspended the full mould inside a bucket of water, using many random off-cuts of wood and a hammer to ensure that it didn't sink INTO the water in the process.
The result was much more successful and true to the intended shape of the mould.
Here is a comparison to the flat headed plaster cast.
I created these plaster heads purely for the purpose of testing the mould before I filled it with resin, and to ensure that I had a backup object to create a second mould from should I need to. Although, I think there are many possibilities of what I could do with these two plaster heads.
Possibilities:
1. Grow crystals onto them. Alum/borax
2. Cover them in artificial crystals/diamonds (Damien Hirst inspired)
3. Hollow them and create an internal structure using resin/other objects.
4. Use them as display pieces for other pieces of work.
INTENTIONS:
As I am drawing to the end of this semester I can determine that I neither have the time nor funds to carry out the plans that I had for this mould.
I had many internal ideas and experiments to externalise, which I will verbalise in sketches below.
I would have liked to experiment with putting these materials inside clear resin skulls:
Insects
Natural crystal points
Artificial crystals (grown by me)
Insects AND crystals.
Leaves / flowers.
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