Bricklayer

The Plaster Bust Collection is a contemporary response to the traditionally sculpted figurative statues and busts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Rather than sculpting in clay or stone, the busts are made by direct casting from real things. The idea of placing architectural monuments, iconic landmarks and random objects on the headdresses and costumes was inspired by the intriguing 18th century fad of decorating hats with very large scale, incongruous objects - famously Marie Antoinette adorned a hat with a huge ship in full sail. The busts are quite roughly cast and mould lines are deliberately left evident - evoking the language of industrial casting and fabrication. Individually cast by hand, every bust comes out the mould slightly differently, creating a quite unique object.