Page 94 - Casting of Angels- Dave Parvin

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How Do I Cast Thee for Profit

Part II

David E. Parvin, A.L.I.

A bronze hand held by
sculptor and friend Bill
Hueg which I had size
sculpted twice life size from
a casting of a hand of the
gentleman who ordered a
number of copies as
attaching points for
awnings for a building. This
is an example of using a life
casting as a model rather

n the first in this series of articles, I explained that the Paris Hilton method. All you have to do is be born
three most common parts of the body that are cast for beautiful and stinking rich and then release a video of
remuneration are hands/feet, faces, and torsos. (See yourself engaging in some outrageously shocking activity
"How do I cast Thee for Profit, Let Me Count the and the public will love you. I have no doubt whatsoever
Ways: Sculpture Journal, December, 2005.) At the end of that if Ms. Hilton decided to produce anything that could
the article, I quoted Moss Hart who said, "Writers, actors, even remotely be called art, she and her, say, angles
and prostitutes have the same problem, competition from molded in clarified chicken fat would be featured in every
amateurs who are pretty good and who will work for vacuous publication and on similar television shows,
free." Certainly artist in general, sculptors in particular, Collectors would line up. Fortunately there is a more
and especially life casters have the same problem. The realistic and in some cases honorable path to follow. As
question is how to rise above the amateurs and command Robert Frost said, "Some have relied on what they knew,
reasonable pay. I will describe two strategies which will others on being simply true, what worked for them might
be appropriate whether life casting for portraits or as work for you."
stand alone pieces of art. I often have referred to life casting as three
At the risk of sounding cynical, if you can become dimensional photography. What I mean by this is that just
a celebrity artist, you're home free. What I mean by as anyone can snap a photo of something and capture its
"celebrity" is simply that you are famous, you don't even likeness very accurately without having to spend years
have to be any good, just famous or even infamous will practicing drawing and painting, so can one do the same
do. Art history has lots of examples of well known thing three dimensionally without learning to sculpt. But
persons whose work commanded high prices far beyond there is also a historical similarity too. There was a time
what the work itself should have. If you just happen to that photography was extremely difficult and only a few
have achieved fame from some legitimately honorable experts understood the process. Then in the first part of
accomplishments such as a couple of Olympic gold the twentieth century, Mr. Kodak came up with a process
medals or Nobel Prizes, then who could blame you for that allowed anyone to make photographs. In the same
cashing in. That's exactly why paintings by Winston way, kits are now available that provide all the materials
Churchill are worth more than those equally good and instructions needed to make a life casting of any pan
paintings by almost any artist whom no one has ever you want. But I often point out that it is very easy to make
heard of. Perhaps an easier plan would be to follow the a simple life casting but it's not easy to do well. Just

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