Friday, December 21, 2012

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #56 (Christmas)





The Black Madonna” – #1 and #2 -Two Sculptures
#1  Cement – plaster cast from clay
#2  Clay, Das and Paint  
35cm high approx.  (both) 

The Story of the two Madonnas: 

Like all good stories it starts with “Once upon a time...” and being Christmas time, it is about the Madonna.

This was a time just before I went to study art therapy at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.  Although I had a strong academic understanding in psychology and art I was required to complete a small sculpture course to fulfil the art requirements.  This is where “The Black Madonn #1” was born.  She was fashioned in clay and then covered in plaster of paris and finally cast in cement.

Before I left Australia, I took photos of her and in the first year of being in Louisville, I started another “Madonna” in clay, however because of the way she was built it was not possible to fire her in a kiln because I did not have the equipment or the space to do so.

Upon my return to Australia a few years later, I discovered that my “Madonna #2” had not travelled very well.  The sculpture was smashed in over 70 pieces.  I reconstructed her using Das which is a self drying synthetic clay which served to stick the whole head together.   I then painted her with black matt acrylic to cover the obvious damage.  She thus became “The Black Madonna”.  Her fragile state remains today as she is impossible to fire. 

Both Madonnas are similar but have character differences.



Artistic techniques used in these sculptures:

I am not a sculptor so I can’t talk about techniques in depth.  Nevertheless I am artistic and I really enjoy doing these two pieces for my own self expression.

Thus ends the Christmas story of the two Madonnas. 
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2013 and thank you for your support over the last year.


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