Unit 2
🔘 archive project 🔘 ‘‘Wax casts of hands’’ workshop 🔘 artists
‘‘Wax casts of hands’’ workshop
During the MEMBRANES exhibition at Hypha Studios Stratford, I attended a hand wax casting workshop organised by Dr. Jennifer Crouch. This workshop incorporated Dr. Crouch’s PhD research, exploring MRI through art, using alginate to create moulds, and combining plant materials with wax to cast "medical phantoms."
# Preparation of Materials and Tools:
- Alginate powder
- Water
- Various types of wax (soy wax, beeswax, paraffin wax)
- Wax melting equipment (set to 50°C)
- Various plant materials (as Tissue Mimicking Materials, TMMs)
- Mould containers
# Creating the Alginate Mould:
1. Mix the appropriate amount of alginate powder with water, stirring quickly until smooth.
2. Immerse the hand or other object to be cast into the mixed alginate, keeping it still for about 5-10 minutes until the alginate sets.
3. Carefully remove the hand or object from the alginate mould, ensuring the detailed shape is retained within the mould.
# Casting the Wax Model:
1. Add plant materials (TMMs) into the mould. These materials will serve as Tissue Mimicking Materials, giving the final piece a unique texture and visual effect.
2. Gently pour the melted wax into the alginate mould, ensuring the wax fills every detail within the mould.
3. Allow the wax to cool for about 30 minutes, then let it set for approximately an hour.
# Removing the Wax Model:
1. Once the wax has fully set, carefully extract the wax model from the alginate mould.
2. Trim the edges of the wax model to make it more presentable.
The Role of Materials, Objects, Body, and Sensation in Art Practice
In art practice, materials, objects, body, and sensation all play crucial roles. They collectively form the core elements of an artwork, conveying rich emotions, thoughts, and meanings through the artist's creation and the audience's perception.
# Materials
Materials are the foundation of artistic creation. Different materials have distinct physical and sensory characteristics that determine their expressive possibilities in an artwork. In the workshop, we used alginate and wax, materials that are not only easy to work with but also capable of capturing fine details.
**Alginate:** As a biological material, alginate quickly forms precise moulds, preserving all the details of the hand. The use of this material prompted me to consider the potential of biological materials in art, especially in the contexts of ecological and sustainable art.
**Wax:** The diversity of waxes (such as soy wax, beeswax, and paraffin wax) offers different textures and visual effects. This made me realise the importance of material choice in the final presentation of a piece and how different combinations of materials can convey specific sensory experiences and emotions.
# Sensation
Sensation plays a vital role in artistic creation. Through tactile, visual, olfactory, and other sensory experiences, both artists and viewers can establish deep emotional connections.
**Tactile:** In the workshop, by touching and manipulating alginate and wax, I experienced an intimate creation process. This direct tactile experience made me more attentive to the details and textures of the work, prompting me to consider how to better utilise touch in my art practice to enhance audience interaction.
**Visual:** The visual effect of wax castings is very unique, with different types of wax offering various colours and transparency. This made me aware of the powerful role of visual senses in conveying the aesthetics and emotions of an artwork.
# Body
The body is not only a tool for artistic creation but also an important subject of artistic expression. In the workshop, we created wax castings using our hands as models, which deeply impressed upon me the central role of the body in art.
**Body as a Creative Tool:** During the mould and casting process, my hand was both the subject and the tool of creation. This dual role highlighted the importance of the body in artistic creation and how bodily movements and gestures can express artistic ideas.
**Body as a Subject of Expression:** By casting hand models, I reflected on the symbolic significance of the body in art. The hand, as part of the body, possesses both functionality and rich symbolic meaning.
# Objects
In art creation, objects can serve both as a medium of creation and as subjects of artistic expression. In the workshop, hand models and other objects like fruits and paperweights were used as casting prototypes, prompting me to consider the multiple roles of objects in art.
**Objects as a Medium:** Using hands and other objects as casting prototypes made me realise that objects can serve as mediums to convey the artist's thoughts and emotions to the audience. The choice and treatment of objects determine the final effect of the artwork.
**Objects as Subjects:** The final form of the castings is tangible objects, which are both independent artworks and concrete manifestations of the artist's ideas. This made me think about how to convey deeper artistic meanings through the shape and texture of objects.
Reflection and Integration with My Research
The use of alginate moulds and wax castings, combined with TMMs and the exploration of the concept of medical phantoms in the workshop, provided a unique intersection of art, technology, and medicine. My research investigates the interaction between humans and plants, exploring the fusion of plant alchemy and digital art, and the combination of spirituality and ecological art. The use of plant materials to create TMMs in the workshop aligns well with my theme of exploring how ancient practices and modern technologies create innovative art forms. Particularly, this resonates with my research on interactive art involving plants, studying the sensory and responsive capabilities of plants.
**Plant Alchemy and Digital Art:** The use of plant materials in the workshop mirrors my interest in combining traditional herbal wisdom with modern artistic techniques. The transformation of these materials in medical phantoms can be seen as an alchemical practice, reimagining the physical properties of plants through technology.
**Technological Realisation of Multi-sensory Immersive Experience:** By using wax and alginate, the workshop provided a tactile and sensory experience that enhanced participant engagement. This aspect is crucial to my research, which aims to create immersive environments that deeply connect the audience with the artwork and its underlying ecological and spiritual themes.