Arlene Shechet Research Paper

Arlene Shechet, has always thought of herself as an artist. When she was in her mid twenties she had a very dear friend that was in the process of dying. Carroll, her friend was suffering from a incurable disease and was dying as Shechet was giving birth to babies and brining life into this world. To honor her friend and to represent the process of moving forward, Shechet threw out everything in her studio and began to work with a new medium: plaster. Shechet stated that she loved the texture of plaster because it changed over time. She also applied paint skins to many works to add a layer of depth and various textures. Over time most of her sculptures began to resemble a buddah-like formation. She said that she didn't have any aspirations

to make a perfect image, but rather infused her plasters works with pliths of formed wood, steel, and concrete prior to fusing them in the kiln, which added a layer of texture, depth, and variety. Shechet works with her displays to ensure light and sigh lines, and relationships to objects in her exhibit hoping that each angle displays her work and highlights her texture and that each angle also offers a different view while maintaining equilibrium.