Casts From the Past XV

Casts From the Past is a recurring retrospective of select Palladio GFRG projects.

Working with plaster, one thing you rapidly get used to is the ever-present dust. But no, silicosis of the lungs isn’t a worry. With our fans and filtration systems, our silica levels are comparable to taking a walk on the beach.

It’s just a corner. Nobody will notice. We can just leave it plain and ugly, right? Wrong. 😊

Whether for their special skills, the extra muscle, or just another set of eyes on a problem, plaster work requires people: sometimes solo, sometimes together, always focused on the same end.

An elliptical spiral coffered dome: in our shop and on site in the luxurious lobby of a Manhattan high rise. It had to be cast in a multiplicity of parts, as every coffer was different. The gaps granted a view of a leafy metal sculpture beyond.

Finding that flow state can be difficult. Approaching the end result with each movement of a tool, seeing an edge of plaster sharpening, or accepting that, right now, the work is what’s most important are all valid methods.