MY HAIR WAS ABSOLUTELY RUINED FOR A WEEK AFTER THIS,
Torso 2021, colored pigment on plaster, steel
We were asked to select a piece of artwork in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and reimagine it in another medium. I chose this piece of medieval jousting armor from 1551 because its aesthetics are more reminiscent of prefabricated hardware than handmade armor. I used an alginate mold to make a cast of my torso, because of alginates rubbery structure I reinforced it with plaster bandages to get a form I could work with. The definition of the mold was incredibly detailed and even picked up the scarring present on my skin from my tattoos. I then used colored pigment on these reliefs.
I took this assignment one step further and used it as an opportunity to teach myself the basics of raising/ sinking aluminum. Using sheets of pre cut aluminum I attempted to recreate the shape of the armor. I used a bandsaw to cut the initial shapes and then proceeded to wooden sinking dyes and and anvils. The aluminum was surprisingly rigid and I annealed it with an oxygen acetylene torch to make the metal easier to work with.
