Stretched Perspectives

10 x 8 x 11 in.

My head is a face (based on my own) stretched across my skull and held together by surgical pins. It is a reflection upon body dysmorphia and how the face is nothing but a moldable/displayable subject for people.

The piece started with a foam head. I shaped it with a heated metal tool to get the shape of my own bone structure in the front, and then a spine in the back. I covered the back with air dry clay and then let it set to get the look of an exposed skull. I decided the leave the dry crack as it felt more authentic. I then covered it in a sparkly, translucent power, and added silver leaf to the center crease. For the face, I made a mold of my head/ears using plaster strips. I then dyed brush on rubber and used my plaster mold, as well as the paper extensions I added on, as a base to brush it onto. After a couple hours the cast slipped right out and It slipped onto the foam head like a glove. I pulled everything back and connected the ears with sewing pins so they were more secure and hid them with the excess rubber. I added my earrings, and carefully added a small gaged wire in the back of the skull/onto the latex skin making it look like they are doing the job of pulling the face back. For a final touch, I placed everything on a clear sheet base, that is held up by a half inch cylinder, to give the illusion of it floating slightly off the table while being presented.