Personally, I have never seen clear plastic tape figure casting as an art project, but I’ve seen it now—and I’m utterly fascinated.
On the wall in the main entrance to the library of my
school, are four knock-your-socks off plastic figures on display this month.
They were created in the Art I classes as group projects. The teacher explained
the process to me but it seemed so easy I wondered why I had never seen this
art form before.
One student becomes the model in whatever posture the team
decides upon and one layer of plastic wrap is adhered all around—leaving
nostril hole space. The rest of the students quickly wrap the plastic tape several times around so the cast will keep its shape. Finally, the tape is carefully slit down the back so
the model is free of the cast and the piece is retaped to cover the slit.
Several Internet sites explain this art form, a site called Tape Sculpture has a four step tutorial with pictures, as well as a video of how it is done. Another site, the Incredible Art Department, lays out the art form as a lesson
plan.
This much I know. My body is considerably larger than it was when I was a girl. Maybe if someone made a plastic figure cast of me and I saw it, I would finally “get it” and do what I have to do get smaller and healthier. Maybe is the operative word.
I currently have two mannequins and one life-size cardboard cutout of James Dean in my home. Maybe I'll make one of each family member. In a Steve Martin-ish move, I won't be a lonely gal anymore.