Assignment #2 Working with Foam and Plaster

    This sculpture was inspired by John Newman’s work, specifically the piece, Out of the Blue, 2014. I thought about balance and neutrality when looking at his work, and tried to convey those themes in my own piece. The way every part of the sculpture sits symmetrically atop each other helps it achieve balance. This idea of balance alludes to spirituality. I chose to paint the piece a mid tone gray to symbolize neutrality. I like to think that its smaller scale and color choice lends to a quieter presence. Instead of interacting with space in a large and significant way, it grounds itself into the small space it occupies. It was painted with oil paint which absorbs into the foam, and mimics the role of one who sits and listens and observes and looks internally versus into their environment. It also resembles a ancient vessel of some sort used for ashes or other ritualistic purposes. 

    Aesthetically, I was concerned with the texture of the sculpture. I appreciated the texture I could create with the wet plaster and tried to emphasize it by using a dry brush with a lighter shade of gray oil paint and sweeping it across the raised parts of the surface.