 Using the hand cast method to produce Lucite
sculpture is as problematic as it is exciting. My passion for
Lucite has forced me into a constant relationship with my art
that is both fulfilling and often frustrating. Lucite, the highest
quality acrylic resin, is durable, strong, and fantastically
clear. Its optical properties include the amazing ability to
trap and pipe light depending upon the angle of reflection.
Handcast Lucite has many similarities to
fine cooking. The Lucite comes in two parts, a clear liquid monomer
and a super fine white powder resin. The parts need to be hand
mixed. During the mixing stage coloring agents can also be added,
however the powder has made the mix totally opaque. A change
in proportions of ingredients will affect the strength, size
and hardness of the final casting.
As in cooking, timing is important. When a mix of Lucite is prepared only a small window of time
is available to pour the mixture. The viscosity of the Lucite
changes by the minute, impacting the coloration effects in the
design.
To succeed in blending and colliding colors,
my castings require numerous multiple pours. Each must remain
undisturbed to firm up. Temperature and formulation of ingredients
will determine the speed of each set. A miscalculation will spoil
the casting.
The Lucite must be cured in an autoclave
under heat and pressurized gas for up to two days after it has
set, a mistake in heat, pressure, or timing may ruin the casting.
Multiple color pours, blending and double
castings for internal effects are all part of the art of the
cast, combined with specialized molding materials for textural
effects which must to coordinated for the brief windows of casting
opportunities. Shrinkage must also be considered at the beginning
of the design process. Depending upon the formulation of the
mix, 8% to 20% shrinkage is expected. A plan to control and direct
this shrinkage is critical to the art.
Heat and curing pressures
are variables that also need to be factored. After curing, each
flat surface must be cut, rough, medium, and fine sanded. It
is then buffed and polished, all by hand.
Many of the results I achieve are determined
by the mold design and materials used. Components from each mold
are used only once and are destroyed in the casting process.
A typical casting often includes vacuum formed components combined
with hand fabricated and machined elements. Materials used in
the mold of one sculpture might include acid resistant plastic,
fiberboard, glass, aluminum, and steel sheeting. These materials
are frequently reinforced with wood, hydrostone, or steel supports.
No two castings are ever the same.
Transmittance of light, internal reflection
and critical angles for light leakage are some of the special
design considerations with my Lucite sculptures, beyond the traditional
demands of shape, texture, color, and balance.
My passion for
Lucite continues to grow. Inspired by the colors of the brilliant
Kansas sky, magnificent Florida waters, canyons and mountains
of Colorado, and the rugged California coast, reflections of
nature combine with smooth, clean, modern lines and angles. It
is an expression of the balance of our human experience in encounters
of colors, light, and shapes.
My journey continues in Lucite.
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