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Victoria and Albert Museum

Full Size Architectural Models, London and Paris

July 3, 2013
Victoria and Albert Museum
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Victoria and Albert

Victoria and Albert

Victoria and Albert

Victoria and Albert

City of Architecture and Heritage, Paris

City of Architecture and Heritage, Paris

In fact they are plaster casts of the originals at the V and A plaster court (in London) and in the Museum of the City of Architecture and Heritage in Paris, where there is a full size reconstruction of an apartment from the Marseilles Unité on the floor above (including some original fittings). Their precision and detail has a different quality to the cement scenography in say the theme park sections of Universal Studios  or the themed hotels in Las Vegas (which are typically re-scaled) that appear as reproductions of film sets.

Adam and Eve in Stereo

June 20, 2013
Victoria and Albert Museum
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Adam and Eve, V and A

Adam and Eve, V and A

A detail from the plaster court at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The stereoscopic depth works very well so it is worth persevering with this one.

 

To view the 3D image go cross-eyed until one image registers exactly over the other. You will see three images, so concentrate on the middle one. When you have this, try to relax and the depth will improve.

Casting Lines

June 17, 2013
Tectonics, Victoria and Albert Museum
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Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

Plaster cast of Schleswig Alter piece

These are fragments of a plaster cast of an Oak alter piece, now in Schleswig Cathedral, by Hans Brüggermann, c 1514-1521, also in the plaster court at the Victoria and Albert Museum. While the oak carving is clearly very accomplished, the reason for posting these pictures is the attention to detail in setting the casting lines, where the various parts of the moulds meet. The lines mark out a topology of separation to avoid undercut and cast strange contours on the figures.

Trajan’s Column

June 15, 2013
Victoria and Albert Museum
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Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column

The plaster cast of Trajan’s Column in the V and A (in two parts to fit within the space). They were checking for roof leaks during a downpour and kindly let me have a look inside the upper section.