Views: 9,351

Intelligent Design

All > "Art" > Sculpture > Intelligent Design by wizzard

640 800 Full

640 800 Full

This is a Burning Man (http://burningman.com) art project that goes along with this year's theme: 'Hope and Fear: The Future'. A ramp with a pond at it's base plays host to a fish (Coelacanth), a crocodile, a dog, an orang utan in a tree, and a human. Space is left at the top of the ramp for participants to pose as the next step of evolution. (That part of the ramp is adjustable to represent evolution progressing, regressing or unchanged.)

The first 4 animals started as paper cutouts found online. The human form started as a 'tape-casting' of a friend. All the figures have been covered with a combination of bondo & fiberglass resin. Along the way, much clay, plaster and paper mache was also used to solidify or shape the figures.

The final sculpture will be installed in 2 weeks from now and pictures will follow of the completed piece then.

A full description would not fit here, but much more complete steps can be found on
my web site:
http://wizzard.com/bm2006

---

---

640 800 Full

I found paper cutouts online at the Yamaha Japan web site for all of the animals except the human. I blew up the images to about 1000% and used spray glue to attach them to posterboard.
Shown here is the Orang utan's chest (on the floor) and a 600% version of the fish.

---

640 800 Full

This is the full sized fish after a couple coats of bondo/fiberglass. Plaster was poured inside to give it some weight and strength.

---

640 800 Full

Paully, my human subject being covered in tape. We used food wrap over his body and then several rolls of 2" wide clear tape to cover him in 2 halves.
An alternate method that doesn't use the food wrap starts with a layer of 2" tape with the sticky side out to first cover the area, then giving the tape a half twist and applying another layer with the sticky side in.

---

640 800 Full

Much later, the 2 halves of the tape cast are being positioned before being connected. His legs have been mostly filled with plaster at this point to give him the stability to stand up in 60+ mph winds on the desert. As a further aid, his pose has him holding a spear that should add much to his stability.

---