A Wall of Skin

After having the idea of making the walls of my installation out of 'skin', I began to test ways of displaying my photographs on different materials. I bought some fake skin, skin-coloured tights, skin-coloured cotton fabric and white cotton fabric. I bought iron-on transfers of some of my images and set to work. Ideally, I wanted the image to transfer successfully onto the fake skin, so that I could print multiple images all over the walls of 'skin', but I was pretty sure it wouldn't work, as transfers are designed to stick to fabric and not shiny, smooth surfaces. As expected, it did not work. However, the heat from the iron began to melt the fake skin a little, allowing it to stretch and morph, which might be an interesting technique for me to use. I also tried the transfers on the cotton fabrics and the nylon tights - it worked on the tights, however when the tights began to stretch and move, the image began to peel off. The most successful prints, as expected, were the cotton fabrics. I think the skin-coloured one is most effective for looking like skin. 

Next, I need to try to make a 'skin' wall. First, I need to find a paint that will adhere to the fake skin, as the sheets are a cream colour, but I would like them to look more skin-like. The paint will need to still allow movement without cracking. Then, I need to try to stick the sheets together - I am planning to experiment with staples, giving a surgical effect, and glue. I would like to incorporate sections where the 'skin' is more transparent, so for this I may use  material from the tights. I will also incorporate my transfer prints. Lastly, I would like to try to create scars or textures on top of the skin with liquid latex. 

Following on from my printing of photographs onto various fabrics, I tried connecting them all to make a 'wall'. Using staples, because I like the surgical effect they add, I stuck together sheets of fake skin, skin-coloured cotton, tights, and the image transfers I had printed. My first comment was the fact that all of the sheets of fake skin were white - I would rather they were of various shades of skin colours (see edited photo below). My second comment was that these sheets are too flat and square - I want to try tearing them, melting them, stretching and folding them, to see what differences it makes. I also want to try creating texture and scars on the surface using liquid latex, and fake sweat using PVA glue to drip down and dry clear. My third comment was that there were not enough photographic images - this is because I only had a few transfers to test, however I would like to use many more images in a section this size. An area I particularly like is near the top right, where a section of nylon tights is stretched across a hole, giving a sheer sense of stretched skin. I would like to further play with this idea of stretched nylon. 

Taking a sheet of fake skin, I tried melting it with an iron, ripping it and folding it. The iron did not melt it much as it is quite a durable material, but it did morph and bend the edges slightly. I think ripping and folding the skin adds texture and makes it more interesting than simple sheets. 

I dripped PVA glue down the sheet so that it would dry clear and replicate sweat. I think it worked well but I need to add much more glue rather than just a few drops, and probably not on a white background as it doesn't show very clearly. I should also try letting the glue dry on a flat surface, rather than vertical, so that it creates just droplets of 'sweat'. 

I made a quick scar out of liquid latex. I mixed a bit of skin coloured foundation into it, which actually created some interesting swirls and patterns. Once it was dry I pushed and tore it a little with my fingers to make it a little more distorted. While I like the pattern the foundation made, I want to find a way to make the latex completely skin coloured, or maybe I will buy skin-coloured latex. I will also make various sizes and shapes of scars. 

With the remaining liquid latex I let a thin layer dry on top of a sheet and then tore holes in it with my fingers. I quite liked the aesthetic this created. I wonder if I could create a thicker layer, let it dry, tear holes and then peel it off from the sheet so that the latex stands alone as fake skin, as this will also effectively represent fragility.