PLASTERS

The plasters shown here are to be cast in bronze. Plaster sculpture, of course, has its own appeal; it takes on a very handsome quality when put through the mold-making process. Plasters must be shellacked and sealed with wax to prepare them for the flexible mold process. Removing the rubber mold further subjects the surface of the original plaster to grime and subtle discoloration. This process, by comparison, causes the plaster to take on a quality similar to bone or a meerschaum pipe. Since my work is very organic, this process is natural to the image.

Another consideration for bringing my larger works to completion in cast bronze, besides creating more permanent sculptures, is that I like to create environments for my forms, similar to my smaller sculptures. To do this, I need the original plasters to form close-fitting shapes or environments to conform properly to the finished cast bronze because wax and bronze shrink in the casting process, further complicating the process.

– Tony Paterson