3D Art
Lessons &
Projects

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3D Art

Reductive Plaster Project

"I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don't need." - Auguste Rodin

"We do not want to copy nature. We do not want to reproduce, we want to produce. We want to produce like a plant that produces a fruit and not to reproduce. We want to produce directly and not through representation." - Jean (Hans) Arp

Theory

Reductive sculpture is one of the oldest forms of object–making known to us. Our early, nomadic ancestors created small, portable "Venus figures" by hitting a hard stone against a softer stone until a humanoid figure emerged. Although we don't know much about the purpose of these female–like forms, some scholars argue that the enlarged hips, breasts and belly suggest an intended use as a totem, perhaps to ensure the fertility of reproducing couples within a tribe.

Project Description

OBJECTIVE: Use reductive processes to carve a smallish sculpture out of a block of plaster. In the spirit of our totem-making ancestors, your sculpture should represent an animal, a thing, an idea or a person. You must, however abstract the form to a sufficient degree (i.e., a lot) so as to resemble the modernist sculptures of Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Jean Arp and Constantin Brancusi. Click here to learn more about the process of abstraction.

PROCEDURE: Mix and pour plaster into a cardboard box that's lined with plastic, thereby casting a block of plaster that measures approximately 9 x 9 x 9 inches. When your block has set (after about an hour it will be solid, but very fragile for several days until the water mostly evaporates), use a maul and a beetle or mallet with gouges, chisels, riflers, sure–forms and sandpaper to remove material until a form emerges.

MATERIALS & TOOLS: Approximately 10 pounds of pottery plaster (available through the departmental Supplies Store); a strong cardboard box that measures at least 9 x 9 x 9 inches; a large garbage bag; two large mixing pails; water; a maul and a beetle or a mallet, assorted gouges, riflers, sure–forms, chisels, files and sandpaper; acrylic paint and painting tools.

FINISHING: The plaster can be painted as soon as the carving is done and the surface is sanded to a desired smoothness. Unlike the Automated Sculpture Project (which uses a base made of wood), your sculpture's base will be carved from the main mass of the plaster (i.e., the base and the sculpture will be a unitary object).

NOTE: Care must be taken to ensure that your plaster is completely dust–free before you start painting. Use a clean, damp rag to remove any dust.

Your finished work must exhibit a comprehensive understanding of the compositional principles of Emphasis, Variety, Movement, Balance, Unity, Rhythm, Scale and Proportion. Your work will also show that you have attended to the details of creating a well–finished carving, with a painted / finished surface that is clean and stable.

Examples of Student Work