Why Eco-Resin?
Mixing up resin
More about Casting
In the previous blog I talked about the qualities and draw-backs of bronze, which I have moved away from, at least for now. Here I will address the material that I have chosen to use – eco-resin:
What is Eco-Resin?
What is that, and why have I chosen it? I arrived at it through my search for a production method and presentation that would be congruent with my ethos. I make things arising out of great consideration and attention coupled with an ease of approach, and I wanted the final material to encompass that. I like the creamy-coloured wax that I use to model the original sculptures and I wanted to find a way to reflect its semi-translucent qualities. I thought that certain modern, funky resins might be able to achieve this, but it has been a long journey to discover exactly how to do it.
Types of Resin
Resin has long been used by sculptors looking for a less-expensive casting method - the trouble is that a lot of it has been made to simulate bronze but ends up looking quite cheap, and many galleries won’t take it. This has a lot to do with the type of resin and the aims for its presentation. The predominant resin used is polyester. It is vey toxic and smelly, and produces brittle casts. Bronze powder is often added to its surface layer to produce so-called “bronze-resins,” also intentionally misleadingly known as, “cold-cast bronze.” Because of its fragility, arms and legs tend to break off, and so it is best used for casting simple forms. About twenty years ago I began experimenting with polyester resin, which is much more flexible, and I developed a method to produce good reproductions. The problem was mainly in the colouring; I wanted to create semi-translucent creamy-coloured casts, but at that time the available resin was all too opaque. Painting it altered and filled its surface too much.
Exploration of Materials
I began an MA in Design at the University of the West of England in 2017 in order to engross myself in experimenting with materials and equipment. After much research I was delighted to discover a break-through approach:
Success
I am using an epoxy eco-resin made by the long-established family-run British company R F Bright in Kent. It qualifies to be called an eco-resin because it is relatively non-toxic and is produced using by-products from other processes and with attention to its environmental impact. I can add specific dyes to produce vibrant colours, and I have finally achieved creating semi-translucent creamy-coloured sculptures that allow the viewer to see hints of their internal armature, as well as reflecting the qualities of the original wax sculptures. I had to devise a casting method around making these, and I will talk about that in two upcoming blogs. The next thing to address though, is what does this new production method allow me to do that wasn’t possible before? The answer is; a lot, and I will explore that in my next blog.
Join me in the same place two weeks’ time.
O-Man. Eco-resin. 13 x 14 x 12cm. Edition of 24.