Previous AA2A Artist

Sean Caherty

Year:
2009-10
Project summary:

For some time I have been developing a process that allows paint to be used to cast the interior space of a range of plastic, and to a lesser extent glass, containers. This procedure is repeated until I believe the cast medium is robust enough to be retrieved from the cast mould. This may involve simply removing the plastic container. Alternatively, it may well need to be coaxed out, taking great care not to rip or damage the cast material. Over the course of the residency I would like to widen the range of containers from the found object to a more specialised and paint-oriented object such as paintbrush, paint-tin or palette, etc.

I have made contacts within the Paint and Plastics industries and hope to form collaborations with the Enterprise Initiative and the Design School. The project will see paint ephemera scanned and then models printed in 3D with a view to approaching plastics manufacturers for help in turning the maquettes into a series of plastic receptacles, which would support the casting process.

Initially, I would like to organise and emphasise the paint in a more self-reflexive and direct manner. There will be a stronger and more potent resonance when the medium paint references its own histories and context brush, palette and easel. Secondly, I am looking to bring the investigation home by returning the process to its point of origin - I started this enquiry as a student here some years ago on the Visual Arts course at Irwell Valley Campus, the University of Salford.