✹ Plaster casting workshop with year1 PFD Chelsea
15th March 2022
Oscar, one of my tutors, one day asked me if I could go get a latex sheet from a shop in Pentonville road for him. Accidentally, the shop was just next to my house. I walked pass this shop many times before and noticed that it sells cushion and rubber but never get to go inside. I wondered why does he need a latex sheet, ‘for a workshop’ he said ‘plaster casting workshop’ It still wasn’t clear for me how can we use a latex sheet in such workshop.
I came to the campus on the day of the workshop 5 mins late and the students started to gathering up already. This is the first workshop I will get to help as a GSA. First year students look so enthusiastic, young and full of energy.
There are 3 basic ways in making a plaster mold – in this workshop. Using fabric, foam board and latex sheet or rubber balloon. And each approach has different pro and cons.
Fabric, you’ll need to know how to use sewing machine or at least a basic stich if you hand sew, this method is good for organic shape of any form that is symmetrical but it will take some time to demold as you’ll have to remove all of the stiches. And that, I found, sometime cause a damage to the plaster as well.
Foam board, this type will give you only structural form but it’s easy to build you only need glue gun and a cutter knife. Demolding is also easy, this method I found can be a good practice for furniture making or something bigger. In the next workshop, it will be cement pouring where they will get to make furniture from cement which require this type of structure. Flat surfaces, strong and practical.
Latex sheet and balloon are good for experiment, you can play with it during the setting period, and the outcome is unpredictable. Almost feel like playing and getting to know material during the process of making. Though, these method can be messy and unsuccessful sometime but it’s fun to work with and easy to demold.
This is the first workshop that first year students get to participate in, this year there are 60 people in the class which is double from last year. Pandemic and restriction, I can’t say this enough, kept everyone apart and students didn’t get to know each other that well last year. This kind of workshop where everyone get to participate in helps the students this year to be collaborative and learn from each other. I also think it’s such a good way to be intuitive in making. And learn to solve unexpected problems along the process. This workshop, I found, encourage the learner to think about ‘How’ more than ‘Why’ as they got to make and focus more about how to turn their ideas into reality which is such a good way to approach their practice.
