Technique:
This sculpture series was created using the plaster cast technique. The forms were obtained from a single mould shaped like a spherical segment. Subsequently, snow-white liquid quartz plaster was applied. Prior to casting, each mould was reinforced with galvanized iron rods and manila, so as to obtain hollow and therefore robust yet lightweight moulds. Upon demoulding, meticulous cleaning of the positive casts’ pores was performed to achieve a texture faithfully mirroring the natural appearance of snow.
Concept of the artwork:
This sculpture series draws inspiration from the cataloguing of and research on snowmen across different historical periods and cultures. The earliest known illustration of a snowman dates back to 1380, appearing in an illuminated manuscript. Since then, countless illustrative and legendary texts have born witness to the presence of snowmen throughout the centuries.
This series seeks to document serendipitous encounters with snowmen, whether crafted by children or anonymous creators, and to immortalize their forms in the states they were found. These range from recognizable anthropomorphic figures to more abstract representations where formal features are nearly or entirely lost.
The objective is to imagine an extended temporal stillness, where the artworks are ‘frozen’ in a specific state of their matter, and in climate conditions and a habitat abstracted from the place that now hosts them. These reserved, silent figures, with their gentle shapes and delicate contours are reminiscent of apparitions. They seem immersed in and, in turn, draw the viewer into a contemplative state of delightful detachment from the dimensions of space and time.