The Foundations: Mould

Janine Magilsen, 2020

Silicon, glitter

5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm

Mould purchased from Amazon and modified by the artist

Personal Collection

This piece originated as a tool for the creation of the other part of this display. As time passed, and as experiments happened, it began to take on a life of its own and became a piece of art itself. As the glitter collected in the workspace, the silicon began to collect particles of the work it was used for, and began to resemble to work it was creating. For a resin piece to cure in the silicon mould, it often takes 24 hours, and during that process an artist has no idea if the piece will work. This piece is emblematic of the present, as it represents a starting point for any number of successful or unsuccessful experiments. It also shows the idea that event starting with the same basis foundations, a piece cannot be made identical to another – same basic idea, wildly different results every time. It represents the present because we do not know what the future holds, and how the future will unfold, much like the opaque silicon does not reveal whether the attempt at a creation was successful or a failure.

With the idea that the world today is always changing, and with the added uncertainty of COVID-19, this piece was a symbol of stability, but also of uncertainty. This is shown through that opaque silicon, something that conceals the future in terms of the results of a cast. It is a symbol of stability because no matter what medium is used in the mould, the basic shape of the piece will be the same. Uncertainty comes in the form of air bubbles, broken pieces, and improper mixes. The mould itself is not instability, but the constant form comes with the set of chaos around it. This is significant right now, as we are not dealing with the chaos and uncertainty of COVID-19, despite the world not looking like it has changed to those of us in our homes. Our homes are the foundations, a constant that we know and comfortable with, and the challenges being thrown at us as we adapt to a new normal – that is the cast. We do not know how it will turn out, so all we can do is sit and wait.

Janine Magilsen