Now that I know the direction that I want my work to go in I'm investigating the process of actually disappearing and trying to discover how a person like me can wither away until all that is left is their shadow. I started using my 2min men (2inch ceramic figures) as a tool so I could see if it was physically possible to make them blend into the background. With the help of Pat (technician) I created a silicone mould which I then filled with Plaster. Although the plaster was easy to use, and the colour was good, the overall procedure wasn't successful as my 2min men kept loosing their heads. The next thing I tried was hot wax, this was much easier to use although I did have to tape the sides of the mould to stop the wax from flowing out. These figures were much more successful and the transparency against a white page was much better. Finally I filled the mould with resin in the hope that the 2min men would be transparent enough to blend into any background. Again this was successful to a degree, although they are not completely see through (slight yellow tinge) they do have a clarity that I feel works well. I hope to be able to make slightly larger figures next (approx 9in) so that I can bring them into the Limerick city and take photos of everyday scenes with them included in it.
At the moment I have filled the silicone moulds with water and ink and placed them in my home freezer, im going to place them on a piece of watercolour, waxed paper and using my camera, record them melting, im interested to see what is left behind after they eventually disappear.
