We have a great sneak peek for you fashion, art and beauty lovers!
This is something we think is very cool, and honestly something of a throw back. A throw back to a long time ago when a muse inspired the creation of a Sculpture! Soho based Mitchell Cooper takes us there with his unique inspirations. We chatted with the artist a bit to see what started this amazing project
(images after the interview)
What drew you to this project?:
I had just moved to New York and was working in finance, when I fist started making little drawings in my cubicle. I figured if I wanted to make a better looking drawing, then it couldn’t hurt to make the subject of the drawing itself more appealing and I later carried the same theme on with my sculptures. My first pieces were very crude and abstract, and eventually I began taking molds directly from my subjects and finishing them off with a modern Romanesque style.
Why did you choose this model?:
The latest piece I did is of Kasia Struss, from Women Management. She is friends with my neighbor, Yuliana B. from IMG Model Management, of whom I took the mold for my first full body piece. I have a few more pieces to make before my show, but now it seems like all the girls from IMG and Women want me to make a sculpture of them, so now I have the luxury of being able to pick and choose who to do next. It’s exciting!
What can you tell us about the process of the casting/moulding?:
It is a unique process that I have created, which involves brushing silicone directly on the model from neck to toes. I then take a mold of the head and hands in a different material. The tricky part if fitting the front half together with the back half and making everything flow. The next step is sculpting on the hair in clay and recasting it into fiberglass. The hair can sometimes drive you nuts.
What is next for you and/or for this project?:
I taught myself everything, and I learn a lot from my mistakes. I am always thinking about the process and how to make things look better and go quicker. The first two pieces each took a few months to get together, but I’m thinking I can get it down to about four weeks or so, especially if I can get a few helpers.
Well, I have a few more pieces to make before my show, so I don’t have an exact date of the opening yet. But what will happen in the next few months is that each piece will eventually be cast in aluminum and painted a solid color; but they will be very similar to how they look now. After that I am going to do some life-sized porcelain pieces of some of the girls, but this time they will be painted and have clothes on. So look out for that.
