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Spring Joy resin cast
37,980.00 €
Tax included
1 months after receipt of order
The damsels of Spring Joy, slender as flowers, rise to hoist themselves up and breathe the air of life. Together, they walk lightly. They dance towards their destiny, that of the unity of nations... with confidence and solidarity.
hight 195 cm
width 250 cm
depth 90 cm
Molding of “Spring Joy” and resin cast of the two sculptures “Spring Joy and Rafael”
First Step - making of the mold and resin cast of the two sculptures Spring Joy and Rafael for the exhibiton at Jardin des Art at Chateaubourg
The making of a mold and its cast is a long process of patience, concentration and perseverance. Throughout the stages they must be revisited to ensure that the entire process of molding - unmolding and cast can be done without constraint and error. On a job as large as this one one is obliged to have an assistant, which requires collaboration at all times with a great capacity for communication to allow us to be in phase throughout the stages. It took two and a half months of long days to make these casts, at a factory pace, in the cold winter of a workshop without heating.
The first thing to do is to check where all the parting lines pass to decide which parts of the body must be cut to allow proper molding and unmolding.
A large table of 3m by 2.50m was built to place the parts of the molds and work comfortably on them.
The original and its pieces must be waxed to allow an easy release of the silicone.
Define the different joint planes, here the mold will be in 25 parts to allow the resin cast and a easy unmolding.
A first layer of liquid silicone is applied to capture all the details. Then several successive layers with drying time between each layer are applied.
We add strips at the joint planes which will be cut when unmolding.
The entire surface will be reinforced with a canvas (verrane) to ensure good hold and resistance while unmolding.
Once the silicone application is finished, the different parts of the mold are covered piece by piece with a polyester resin reinforced with fiberglass. The same process is repeated with successive layers until obtaining a solid shell which resists deformation during unmolding and pulling. Wooden and other reinforcements are applied.
Follow drilling for the placement of the bolts that hold the pieces together.
Marking so as not to get lost in the placement of multiple pieces. Gently unmolding and delicate cutting of joint planes.
It is always a great pleasure to find ones original.
All pieces are cleaned, edges rendered clean to be ready for casting.
Second step : The resin cast
With a precise unfolding the different pieces of mold are prepared and a first layer of gel coat is applied which allows a base color and captures all the details.
Several successive layers of fiberglass (glass mat) of different thicknesses and resin follow.
A steel armature among others is integrated to ensure solidity. Along the edges a thick layer of gel coat is applied just before the assembly of two parts which allows to have a clean joint plane and a solid connection.
The assembly of the following pieces is done according to the ability to access inside them everywhere to reinforce the joints with fiberglass.
It is of great importance to be precise to ensure that during the final assembly of the three characters there is no mismatch and that everything joins perfectly.
The resin is a very sensitive product to temperature changes, the drying time can vary a lot and this defines the process of the unfolding. You have to be very careful not to have shrinkage due to too rapid drying which would result in a shift in the assembly.
Part of the print is unmolded and a first dry assembly is done to test that the three characters come together without shifting. Once everything is checked, we start to attach the different body parts together. This work is very delicate, supports and tricks are necessary to hold in place the time of drying before being able to continue
Once everything is assembled, you have to clean and chisel all the joint plants. All imperfections must disappear. Hours of precision work, incredible patience and the whole piece is inspected centimeter by centimeter.
A good steel frame is integrated in the base and fasteners for fixing on site during installation.
What a joy to see one’s sculpture ready to be colored.
The patina on these two resins “Spring Joy and Rafael” was made with color pigments and white and brown shellac. Thin transparent layers are superimposed to allow a play of color with depth and transparency.
Preparing for transport requires a solid construction to provide stability for the road as well as for flexing when lifting. A wooden frame all around holds each character. (44)
Foam and bubble wrap protect the surface of the sculpture.
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