Where does your fascination with the macabre
come from? I believe the fascination comes from
a deep seated need to confront our own mortality. Both real and fictional stories help us anticipate how to survive danger.
For me Fleshlettes and monsters exist as a sort of
extension of the “body horror” genre which I believe
has much more to do with understanding aging and
death. In this context my sculptures have been a form
of therapy.
What inspired you to make Fleshlettes? Can you
explain a little more the process of making one?
The inspiration for Fleshlettes came from three
places: First, I wanted to challenge myself to learn how to create hyperrealistic humans in a similar way to Ron Mueck who is one of my heroes.
A Fleshlette makes for a great sculpting exercise
when I want to focus on different areas of the body.
Second I wanted to work in a theme or style that
would be identifiable as my own just as H.R. Giger
did with his biomechanical motif in the alien films.
Finally the idea seemed to strike me like a bolt of
lightning one day. Many days passed the idea still
felt fresh. I could combine all of my interests in a
way that I have never seen before.
The process of making a Fleshlette starts with a
rough pencil sketch where I work out what body
parts I find interesting and arrange them in a design that catches my eye. I keep the 2D concept
very loose so that I have room to be inspired and
organically design as I sculpt.
I make the skin out of polymer clay which surprises
most of the people who see them in person. Jordu
Schell first taught me how to create realistic skin
in this medium and I have continued to extrapolate
on his techniques.
After the sculpture is done I punch real human or
animal hair into the skin one at time just as you
would with a special effects sculpture. I then bake
the final piece in an oven to cure it.
I do a final finishing step that involves painting light washes of clear gloss medium onto the areas
of the skin that should appear wet or moist. The
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