Materials Lab Workshop: Casting Connections—Molds, Replicas, and Questions of Authorship
About
Explore the intimate connections between models, molds, and casts in this hands-on workshop led by research curator Francesca Bewer. — Join research curator Francesca Bewer for a workshop focused on art and science. We’ll explore the intimate connections between models, molds, and casts; how molds and casts have been used to produce, replicate, and preserve three-dimensional objects; and what these objects can teach us about skill, technology, and value. Working with clay, plaster, wax, alginate, and silicone putty, we’ll experiment with different processes of molding and casting. Along the way, you’ll be introduced to the scientific tools used to investigate and identify the traces of process and change. Through discussion and comparison with historical plaster casts, wax models, and other surrogates in the Harvard Art Museums collections, we’ll ask when a copy might be considered “fake,” “genuine,” or something in between, and how replicas support research, teaching, and conservation in museums today. This workshop is one of four offered this fall that explore different media through the lens of art and science. Take one or take them all! The four workshops are: Saturday, September 19: Landscape Drawing with Optical Devices Wednesday, October 7: Color Alchemy—Pigments and DIY Paint Friday, November 6: Making an Impression Friday, November 20: Casting Connections—Molds, Replicas, and Questions of Authorship
