I have been investigating applying latex directly to the surface of my skin to cast the scars that mark my encounters with the world. This particular cast was made from a mark on my arm that was caused by an allergic reaction. Latex, materially, has skin-like qualities and has to be layered on to create a second skin, which is then peeled off once it is thick enough to maintain its own integrity without support. This process creates an inverted negative and is, therefore, not a pure representation of the original mark. This technique is present in the works of Rachel Whitehead and Heidi Bucher, who both cast directly from the surface of objects and spaces. I aim to explore this casting process further and attempt to remove the rough edge present from the casting application, as well as explore different layering techniques such as dipping and sponging.
This material study also opens up questions around representation versus the represented object and the interference or degradation that takes place within the medium’s properties. How do the medium’s properties define the traces it carries?
