The process for my Architect project began with a trip to Moma to gather ideas and inspiration. While I was there I drew a inspiration from many different pieces. I decided that I wanted to create a 3D piece with a structural base and then use wiring to give it a sense of space. The overall theme for the piece is based around Buddhist sculpture and the meaning of Mudras.
To kickstart the process I chose to make a plaster mold of my hand in the Varada Mudra. This Mudra expresses the energy of compassion, liberation, and an offering of acceptance. My partner, Sienna, chose to maker her plaster mold in the position of the Vitarka Mudra. The Vitarka Mudra creates an energy that allows for the transmission of knowledge in a protected way, without being impeded by fear.
Once the plaster mold had been cast and the hands were removed from the jelly mold, we smoothed the surface with sandpaper and emphasized details with an Olfa knife. I covered my hand I painted it with a mixture of green and gold acrylic paint and sprayed a light layer of copper spray paint over the entire mold. To complete the look I glued a mixture of fake mosses around the base to give it a natural and weathered look like ancient Buddhist sculptures.
The next step in this multimedia project was to create a stop motion video. We chose this part of the project to introduce the wiring. The wiring wraps itself around the sculptures like a vine growing from the moss. The wire acts like a cage that encases the hands.
I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the stop motion video and add sound that complimented the Buddhist theme. Lastly to create the poster I uploaded the images I took when creating the stop motion video to Photoshop and collaged them with the definitions of their Mudras.
