Soap Sculptures & Transformations

In process soap sculptures:

 

Final Animal Soap Carving Raccoon:

Transformations:

First I cut off the legs, face, and tail for subtraction.
I used water to attach them to the back of the raccoon.

Next, I melted the soap in the mocrowave for 45 seconds.

I then squished the soap down with the end of a paint brush while it was still hot, I also carved some of the holes out at this point.

I added water to the soap and in the holes, and covered it in the shavings from carving.

Next I tried burning the soap with a lighter to add a charred effect, though not a lot happened.

 

For the final transformation I left the soap running under hot water for approximately 8 minutes. 

My ideas for the transformations were really just on the spot decisions. I decided to use whatever I saw, and since I was in the kitchen I found several of my processes. I really like the way it turned out. I think it looks like some type of coral and has interesting shapes within all the crevices.

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Lick and Lather Personal Response:

I found Janine Antoni's pieces for Lick an Lather to be beautifully eerie. The soap one is especially ghostly. The concept of immortalizing oneself in a bust, but making it in these easily degradable materials is really interesting. It represents that nothing is truly eternal. Antoni talked about the loving aspect and gentleness she associated with bathing with the soap bust, and licking the chocolate bust. I think that is really apparent in the resulting sculptures when you know what the process is. I like that on the chocolate bust Antoni didn't change it too much and the details of her face are recognizable. The licked areas are apparent because they became discolored on her face and neck. I found it interesting that in other art works Antoni chews the material to bind it together, inserting herself physically, permanently, into her pieces. This fact reminds me of Pollock and how he would spit into some of his works. I think it's a very intimate way to create art. Overall I found Antoni's art process inspiring and meaningful.