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"The original
sculptures made from concrete are like the bones of my artwork. The
paper is its skin. In a sense, I provide the muscle as I create each
piece."
- Terry Taube
From start to end, it takes approximately one month for Terry Taube to create a cast paper sculpture. He spends time on each piece, individualizing its shape, enhancing its colors, bringing it to life.
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| Color is the very staple of
Taube's artwork, and as such, the process of coloring starts
at the very beginning. Taube first dusts his molds, such as
his signature turtle shape, or surfaces, including mats, leaves
and lava, with metal and pearlescent powders. These powders
create colors that only can be found in nature. They mix with
and react to the pulp during the casting process, and the result
is a unique sculpture every time. |
The cast paper sculptures are made from
two types of pulp, hemp and abaca. Taube blends the pulp himself and works
it into an oatmeal-like consistency. This pulp mixture is sprayed onto
the molds or surfaces using a texture sprayer. "It's a high-tech process,
but it, like my art, mirrors a very primitive act in nature. Essentially,
it's a version of what a wasp does when building its nest."
He sprays the pulp in layers, three to four times, allowing it to dry between
each application. |
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After spraying each layer he hand-presses
and massages the pulp into the molds. The spraying and drying process
takes approximately
two weeks.
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Once the molds are cured, he separates each piece from the others
and one-by-one, meticulously trims away the excess pulp and cleans up the
edges.
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Now it is time to shape, weave, dye and paint the sculpture,
accenting different colors that have revealed themselves from the initial
color powders.
Finally, Taube coats the artwork with acrylic to preserve and
finish its colors. |
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