tape casting

I work in a childrens playscheme for the London borough of Sutton and it is my job to create art and craft activities and exercises for the children everyday to keep them amused and displays to keep the environment looking warm and friendly. Over the past few weeks we've been playing with a range of quick things (15 minutes or less... children have a very short attention span these days, I blame e- numbers and over stimulation): mod rocking, painting, collage e.t.c but something this week has really inspired me, so I thought i'd "blog it".

My friend Edd introduced me to an artist - Mark Jenkins, who creates sculpures using clingfilm wrapped in cellotape, an unlikely combination with outstanding results. Its also a lot of fun. So we spent the whole of yesterday reproducing limbs hats and objects all cast to replicate them exactly, the reproductions hold their shape and are suprisingly strong.

As a project branching from this we have set ourselves a task. To reproduce a lifesize typecast of my "aforementioned" mannequin, Rambo, which will serve as a club mascot. This will take some time but hopefully I will be able to produce a video and some pictorial evidence of this endevour. Wether it will work or not is a different story but I will give it a try. This will then, hopefully will be combined with modrock ( what they use to make casts when you've broken your leg - plaster on a mesh which when you add liquid you can wrap around things, it dries hard) to form a life size "mummy" - then I expect the children will paint it, and ruin all our hard work, its ok i'm used to it now. Anyway I will keep you updated. The website of the artist is below although its not linked at the moment. Fascinating work I hope you will be as inspired by it as I have been!
link