When creating this piece I debated between hyperrealism and the whimsical. The completely unique thing about alginate molds is that it gives the appearance of a real object; the alginate allows the plaster to form to the grooves and curves, creating an overall stunning realistic piece. To me the body is not perfect, it has lines and marks that makes it human, it has a unique signature like a fingerprint. The plaster piece I have created called “Don’t Touch Your Face” explores the imperfection of skin and is tied to a phrase my father used to say to me. As a child, and even know I have been known to touch my face and like everyone else is prone to acne and pimples caused from stress. In this piece I explore what I think I look like when I have pimples or when I am so stressed out I rub my face. The layers of colored plaster that is distressed and eroded represents the different layers of skin, and like a map illustrate the topography of my face. The plaster fingers are layered over the face illustrating the anxiousness I feel and the compulsion to touch my face. When looking at the finished product, I didn’t want this piece to be perfect or glossy because skin imperfect. When skin in represented in the media it is smooth, glossy, and radiant, almost dewy; instead I took it to an opposite extreme if the skin was so dry that it was flaking off. “Don’t Touch Your Face” is an illustration of imperfection that is almost like a fingerprint to the owner.
