Here's one you may not have see coming. Have you ever seen the movie, Miss Conception (2008)? It's little comedy about a woman, Georgina (Heather Graham) an ambitious young London professional who learns she has only one month left in which to conceive a child. After exhausting all possibilities with her baby-phobic boyfriend, Georgina turns to her wildly optimistic friend Clem, with whom she sets out to identify and "land" the perfect father for her child. Anyways, I digress, within the movie there is a part where Georgina and her boyfriend are at a baby shower. At the shower there is a body casting of the “mums” pregnant belly.
Of course this got my attention and my mind latched on to that notion, tucked it away and it's been festering ever since. It got me to doing some seeking, surfing, searching and wondering. For those not in the know, a body casting is a detailed impression of part of a living body, which is then cast in plaster or other material to make a lifelike, life-size, realistic and very personal sculpture. What kind of person would be brave enough to cast a body part or portion, and then either display it themselves or gift it to another? To keep it would seem sort of vain, unless of course it was a prego-belly memento.
Of course this got my attention and my mind latched on to that notion, tucked it away and it's been festering ever since. It got me to doing some seeking, surfing, searching and wondering. For those not in the know, a body casting is a detailed impression of part of a living body, which is then cast in plaster or other material to make a lifelike, life-size, realistic and very personal sculpture. What kind of person would be brave enough to cast a body part or portion, and then either display it themselves or gift it to another? To keep it would seem sort of vain, unless of course it was a prego-belly memento.
Pregnancy belly castings are always fascinating and captures a sentimental and special segment of time .
I have to admit though, that the creative artistic side of me delights in attempting such an experience. I want to know how it would feel to have the cold alginate smeared across my flesh. To have to remain still - motionless, the canvas, as it were to the artistic creation in process. To feel the encasing of my body segment as the process continues and to wonder if it will be a pleasing final form. I've found he creative force at Bodyscape in NZ they have a great site which covers the process and have a plethora of ideas and examples. I also found some in the UK. Maybe it's time for a studio in the states?
art credit: bodyscape.net.nz
So it got me thinking, would you enjoy receiving a body casting from your lover, mate or significant other? I think it would be beautiful in the garden, hidden in a secret alcove of flora and greenery or like my brother who has one in his back yard by the corner of his garage. Perhaps in the bedroom, a place that should be reserved for intimacy and sensuality.
What say you? Would you ever consider having a casting made of yourself or your child for the sake of keeping memories alive via a sculpture of sorts?
What say you? Would you ever consider having a casting made of yourself or your child for the sake of keeping memories alive via a sculpture of sorts?
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