NATURE CASTING will explore the relationships between the elements of the natural world and the idealized reproduction of a copy which can be more perfect than reality or an abstraction of realness. Using organic materials such as clay, plaster, wax, seaweed, or rubber and observing how the processes of replication often include the transformation of materials from powder, to liquid and then solid casts will be explored. Plaster molds similar to fossils can capture the negative shapes and textures of extinguished life forms and seaweed alginates used for body casting can capture living breathing reality in every detail from a moment in time to be eternal. Identity development can occur from the selection of representational objects that allow the personal to enter into a collective consciousness. The anthropomorphic tendencies of art to project human characteristics to inanimate objects can mirror the perception of empathy with multiples cloned from a single prototype. Allowing the experiments with organic materials to inspire the evolution of an idea can lead to reinterpreting cultural identities in artworks from centuries of idealized societies into a modern urban environment.Sculpture workshops are critique-based studio courses that investigate interdisciplinary topics proposed by faculty based on their fieldwork, experience, and expertise. Emphasis is on developing each student's individualized research and expanding their studio practice to consider broader concerns, methods, and contexts.

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