… all the tentacles complete — but no, the front one is not right! Some surgery required. Out comes the hacksaw, but only to the wire armature so the arm can be shaped into the correct curves. Then like Dr. Frankenstein I fasten it back together with staples and recover with more resin putty.
And now is time to sand …
and sand and sand and sand until it is time for the little sucker cups … M2, M2.5, M3, M4, M5, M6, M8, M10, M12 white nylon washers
I pulled out my collection of plastic seals and off we went for days of cupping —15 days spent modeling the contours of each of the 663 suction cups
The Blessed Virgin had to be sanded very delicately to give it back some of its immaculateness.
The happiness of some is the dust of others.
Take advantage of this white octopus, it seems that it is very rare to come across one. Shortly after I did my little experiments with paintings —
A few days to finish the color, but because it will have to go through a few coats of a special glossy glossy varnish, which makes the viscosity so good… mmm yum. Given the size of the room I could not apply it in one go. The drying takes between 24 and 48 hours, so it will probably take me a week to complete the application of this varnish-resin.
If your head is spinning too much, don’t look at this indecent image.
Soasig Chamaillard (French, b.1977)
Notre dame du poulpe(Our Lady of the Octopus) - recovery statue with illegible signature, aluminum wire frame, plaster strip, polystyrene, resin
(epoxy putty), plumbing seals (plastic washers), acrylic paint, resin varnish
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47 cm high x 70 cm wide - 12 kg - work-in-progress March 20 to May 31, 2015
“I grew up in a Christian Western society. My perspective on life has been a result of my environment and background. The playful interaction of society’s many icons, physical transformations, and the resulting improbable combinations, have culminated in my vision of a woman’s role and place in our society. This inner questioning of a woman’s role, has led me to use one of the most sacred icons in my work, namely, the Virgin Mary. Initially, I begin with damaged statues, either donated or discovered in garage sales, which I then restore and transform. I surely do not mean to shock those who believe but rather to move those who see.” —
Soasig Chamaillard
