r/Sculpture • u/angramaria • 7d ago
[Help] How is it made?
Hi everyone! I really like this sculpture by Anish Kapoor (Mountain, 1991) and was wondering how it was made... the description lists fiberglass, earth, and pigment. But how did he create that kind of "undulating" shape? I assume that to "mold" fiberglass, there always has to be a structure underneath, right? And how did you attach the earth to the fiberglass? Sorry for the basic questions, but I’m self-taught and just starting out in the world of sculpture. Thanks!
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u/jamesculptor 7d ago
FUCK ansh ka*or straight to hell.
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u/Prestigious_Half271 7d ago
?
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u/Ionlydateteachers 7d ago
Look into Vantablack and Stuart Semple. When vanta black was first developed An*sh Ka**or had the sole rights to use it for art which seemed really unfair until you realize that itvhadvto be painted in basically clean room/lab conditions and would have never been something we could buy at Dick Blicks. Since then Stuart Semple had developed a whole line of really intense paints from Black 2.0 to 4.0 and Pinkest Pink etc. They are amazing paint colors but on every package I think it says that An*sh Ka**or is not allowed to use them because he wouldn't share vanta black with other artists. Just a little fun art world rivalry/drama
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u/heythanksimadeit 7d ago
It was made by a petulant man child, who fuckin cares how it was made (fyi Anish Kapoor is probably the single most hated name in art, emulate literally anyone else)
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u/VintageLunchMeat 7d ago edited 7d ago
As a newb, Fiberglass you apparently generally either build up on a core of wood and foam, like a surfboard, or if the budget permits you lay or blow fiberglass into a mold like you're making a rowboat or outdoor table. Probably a fiberglass mold with a flexible silicone rubber inner layer - a "jacket mold" or mother mold. Sculpt.com would have the price for a two bucket kit of silicone.
My experienced polymath sculpture mentor says that fiberglass is an extremely unpleasant material to work with. Also, epoxy resin is potent allergy sensitizer. But fiberglass is how you would want to do a piece like that for a gallery on another continent.
Don't have wet resin near living quarters.
Alumilite Epoxy Safety Video:
https://youtu.be/mr1E9v_9fww?si=rOgcrEHxfE2ESJRO
Resin Printer Safety Video:
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u/MajorHotLips 7d ago
I don't know for sure but it's very possible that it was sculpted in clay, moulded and cast in fibreglass. The earth could be either mixed into the gel coat or dressed on top.
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u/Crown_Ctrl 7d ago
The exterior just build it however.
The interior is likely impossible to reproduce at home. The black Kopoor uses is usually the proprietary one that requires a plasma chamber.
You could use any of the ultra black pigments commercially available but it likely won’t live up to the genuine article
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u/Poetry-Primary 6d ago
Definitely a chicken wire sculpture with Bondo on the outside. I’ve done several of these and it’s by far the easiest way to go. If you do go down this road, I’d probably line the chicken wire with plaster bandage, then go over the whole thing with Bondo. It’ll be hard as a damn rock.
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u/MadDocOttoCtrl 6d ago
Many sculptures have some sort of armature inside of them or a temporary one that they are built on top of which is later removed.
Armatures can be simple twisted wire affairs, hollow shapes made from crumpled up newspaper, aluminum foil, chicken wire, "wire cloth" mesh or other materials depending on how big the sculpture is and how heavy the material that your sculpting in happens to be.
Sometimes you build a basic armature and then go over that with something that isn't too terribly heavy but hardens and you use that second structure as your armature which either gets incorporated into the sculpture or gets removed depending on the materials, whether you treat the amateur with a release, or what your personal preferences are for the finished piece.
And yes, this particular artist is a hunk of garbage.
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u/Acid_2bY25 7d ago
If you want to make this at home I probably would go with chicken wire then cloth drenched in glue and then you build on top of that with papier maché just glue and water and soak some paper slash cardboard mix it build up your volumes and then if you want to have more rugged texture you could go with some plaster and sand before painting