ICE BREAKER: 3D SELF-PORTRAIT

 

IDEAS:

- cake 🎂

- jelly 🍮

- ballon 🎈

- newspaper 📰

- gypsum ⛏

- lego blocks 👮

- pasta 🍝

- beton 🗿

- cardboards 📦

- silicone ⛆

RESEARCH:

source

Sharona Franklin

Sharona Franklin is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and activist based in Vancouver born in 1987. 

Her social media accounts reached thousands. In my case, I noticed her because of the extraordinary jelly sculptures.

What's interesting, during the exhibitions her works are melting because they are made of jelly. This allows the visitors to see the organic degeneration. 

The sculptures are made with the finest precision. Every single detail is perfect. She puts her works in beautiful arrangements. Matches the colours and adjusts the sculptures to the light at the best angle.

I would even dare to say that her works are the representation of perfection. 

THE CHOSEN IDEA:

One of my ideas was to use a gypsum mortar because I am raised in a house of architects. We also have a stock of this type of material. I wanted to imprint my face in plaster and fill the finished form with some substance. So, I started thinking about what to fill it with. I came up with the idea of using jelly. Then, I thought about silicone, which may also be a cool idea. I also wanted to use the form in some kind of different way. For instance, leaving it concave and making a frame around it.

I thought that choosing this idea was the most demanding and fun one. The fact that I will eat my own face as a desert additionally encouraged me. It also seemed not to be that time-consuming. 

PROCESS OF CREATING:

First of all, I had to grease the bowl, in which the gypsum mass would finally land, with oil that would prevent the plaster from sticking to the walls permanently.

Then, I had to prepare the gypsum mass. For this purpose, I mixed plaster and water together.

The next step was to put the mass into the bowl. 

Then, my favourite part, putting my face into the gypsum mass to imprint it. It was pretty hard because I wanted to put my face as deep as possible to achieve the best effect.

Later, the only thing left to do was wait for the mass to solidify.

When the mass hardened, I started to make a jelly. I used less water than in the recipe to make it denser.

I covered the form with cling film and adjusted it to the shape of form to make sure that the jelly could be pulled out.

I poured the cooled liquid into the plaster mould and waited for it to tighten slightly so that it did not spill, and then I transferred it to the refrigerator.

I let it tighten for a day and then pulled it out.

The next step was to take the foil off.

This is how it turned out.

Then, I painted the mould with white paint.

I took a picture and used digital software (PicsArt) to cut the face out and add a frame.

That was not the end. I decided to also use the idea with silicone. So I used the form again. I smeared it with dishwashing liquid, filled it with silicone and smoothed it at the end.

Then, I waited until it pulled off and I took it out of the mould.

SUMMARY:

This project was such a pleasure to make. I created 3 pieces of artworks in 3 different styles. I really like the final outcome and I am happy that I came up with such ideas. I could work with various media and discover new skills (and eat the jelly version 💓).

Reference:

Sharona Franklin at king’s leap. (2020) [Online] Artviewer.org. Available from: https://artviewer.org/sharona-franklin-at-kings-leap/ [Accessed 04/11/21].

Bobb, B. (2020) Artist Sharona Franklin displays a decomposing jelly cake—and explores fresh forms—in her new solo show. [Online] Vogue. Available from: https://www.vogue.com/article/sharona-franklin-artist-solo-exhibition [Accessed 04/11/21].