I felt that the tutorial with Elizabeth was very successful, and I am motivated to really jump into sculpture as my practise. She gave me a number of help tips, artists as well as a number of museums to visit that with contribute to this new area in my practise.
In terms of research artists, Frisch, Nauman were two basic reference points in the initial period of my practise.
Katarina Fritsch
http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-351-382-1160-1174-view-germany-profile-fritsch-katharina.html
(with specific reference to the type of casting she performs, as well as the colour palette she uses)
German sculptor, known for her installations that reinvigorate familiar objects with a jarring and uncanny sensibility.
(Sensibility – the quality of being able to appreciate and respond to complex emotional or aesthetic influences; sensitivity)
Her works’ iconography is drawn from many different sources, including Christianity, art history and folklore. She attracted international attention for the first time in the mid-1980s with life-size works such as a true-to-scale elephant. Fritsch’s art is often concerned with the psychology and expectations of visitors to a museum.
Elefant (Elephant), 1987, polyester, wood, paint
(381 x 419 x 160 cm)
Gary Garrels wrote that “One of the remarkable features of Fritsch’s work is its ability both to capture the popular imagination by its immediate appeal and to be a focal point for the specialized discussions of the contemporary art world. This all too infrequent meeting point is at the center of her work, as it addresses the ambiguous and difficult relationships between artists and the public and between art and its display—that is, the role of art and exhibitions and of the museum in the late twentieth century.” 
Rattenkonig
1993, Polyester resin, paint
110 1/4 x 511 3/4 inches; 280 x 1300 cm
Mönch (Monk)
1997-99
76 x 23 x 17 in. (193 x 58.5 x 43.2 cm)
Polyester and paint
Figurengruppe / Group of Figures (2006-2008) is an installation of nine elements: Gartenskulptur (Torso) / Garden Sculpture (Torso), Gartenskulptur (Vase) / Garden Sculpture 2 (Vase), Gartenskulptur (Skelettfüsse) / Garden Sculpture 3 (Skeleton Feet), Heiligenfigur (St. Michael) / Figure of a Saint (St. Michael), Madonnenfigur / Madonna Figure, Riese / Giant, Schlange / Snake, Heiligenfigur (St. Katharina) / Figure of a Saint (St. Katharina), Heiligenfigur (St. Nikolaus) / Figure of a Saint (St. Nicholas)
Hahn / Cock
2013; Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London
Totenkopf (Skull)
1997-1998
7 7/8 x 5 3/4 x 9 7/8 in. (20 x 14.6 x 25.1 cm)
Porcelain and paint
Tischgesellschaft (Company at the Table),
1998, polyester, wood, cotton and paint
(140 x 1600 x 175 cm)
Kind mit Pudeln (Child with Poodles)
1995
Plaster, chromium-plated brass, color
15 3/4 x 208 inches; 40 x 528 cm
In her working process, Fritsch combines the techniques of traditional sculpture with those of industrial production. While many of her early works were handcrafted, Fritsch now makes only the models for her sculptures and then hands these over to a factory for production, to near-pathological specifications. She uses these models to create moulds, from which the final sculptures are cast in materials such as plaster, polyester and aluminium. Many are made as editions, meaning that multiple casts are taken from one mould. For the duration of some of her exhibitions, Fritsch has made her multiples available for sale at the respective museums.
Dealer, 2001, polyester and paint
(75 x 23 x 16)
Oktopus (Octopus), 2010, polyester and paint, 21 x 45 x 60 cm
Bettlerhand (Beggar’s Hand), 2007, polyester and paint, 9 x 17 x 11 cm
Bruce Nauman
Mixed-media artist whose broad use of media includes sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance.
Confronted with “What to do?” in his studio soon after graduating, Nauman had the simple but profound realization that “If I was an artist and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art. At this point art became more of an activity and less of a product.”
Fifteen Pairs of Hands (1996)
“Untitled (Hand Circle),” 1996, cast phosphorous bronze, silver sodder, copper, phosphorous bronze wire and sandblasted steel
Rinde Head/Andrew Head (Plug to Nose) on Wax Base (1989)
2 Heads on Base #1, 1989
1941 Julie Head/Julie Head wax on wood base
Pair of Hands, 1996
Drawings:
(and their translations into neon signs)
Doble Sized Head and Hand, 1989
Marching Figure
Inscribed ‘B. Nauman 1985 to Woody & Nancy’ (lower right)
colored pencil, graphite, gouache and watercolor on two joined sheets of paper
73½ x 63 5/8 in. (186.6 x 161.6 cm.)
Seven Figures High
Photographs:
Self Portrait as a Fountain
Research:
Animatronics, somewhat linked to Kinetic Sculptures
Silicone
Improving and developing better methods of creating more lifelike animatronics exteriors with silicone. RTV silicone (room temperature vulcanization silicone) is used primarily as a molding material as it is very easy to use but is relatively expensive. Few other materials stick to it, making molds easy to separate Bubbles are removed from silicone by pouring the liquid material in a thin stream or processing in a vacuum chamber prior to use. Fumed silica is used as a bulking agent for thicker coatings of the material.
Latex
White latex is commonly used as a general material because it has a high level of elasticity. It is also pre-vulcanized, making it easy and fast to apply. Latex is produced in several grades. Grade 74 is a popular form of latex that dries rapidly and can be applied very thick, making it ideal for developing moulds. Foam latex is a lightweight, soft form of latex which is used in masks and facial prosthetics to change a person’s outward appearance, and in animatronics to create a realistic “skin”.
Kinetic Sculptures
Peter Jansen
Artist DarkAngelOne
(enlarge to see movement)
http://beautifuldecay.com/2015/02/12/artist-brings-sculptures-life-mesmerizing-moving-gifs/
Moving GIF’s of precasting sculptures
A sub-branch of my investigation also involves ‘facial animation’, either computerised images of the original casts or as a working robot/machine
Sir john Soane’s Museum (1813)
13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
http://www.soane.org/about/our-history
Sir John Soane’s Museum was formerly the home of the neo-classical architect Sir John Soane. It holds many drawings and models of Soane’s projects and the collections of paintings, drawings and antiquities that he assembled.
Soane continued to acquire objects and display them, but instead of categorising objects, he decided to show his collection in creative, eclectic ways instead.
In 1812, Soane’s unusual collection had taken over the space once occupied by the stables at the back of number 13. He needed more room, so he acquired the rest of the house and moved in. He rebuilt the front part, connecting it to the back, giving him plenty of new space to display his collection.
Soane’s collection grew futher. He ended up with some spectacular items – like the sarcophagus of the Egyptian king, Seti I. He was constantly arranging and rearranging these objects throughout his life, not just to incorporate new acquisitions, but to enhance their poetic qualities through inspiring juxtapositions. The organisation of the museum can seem chaotic. It is, in fact, quite purposeful – each room a work of art in its own right.
V&A
