1. Molding
cultural
life from
plaster
BY .JACQUEUNE DURETr
Staff Writer
BRICK - Students, teachers
and even the principal at Brick
Township High School were
confined to plaster casts yester-
day, but none of them had in-
curred an injury. The wraps
and plaster were all for art's
sake.
The project was part of Mon-
treal artist Serena Kovalosky's
effort to represent the world
through totem poles made of
plaster casts of the human
form.
Kovalosky came to Brick
Township High School to add a
New Jersey representation to
what~y~nj:ually will be a col-
lection of casting molds from
all 50 states and several coun-
tries. She calls the project "To-
tems for Humanity."
She was invited by Brick
Township High School teacher
Flora Allen of Toms River, who
brought the artist to the school
after finding out about Kovalos-
ky's efforts through her daugh-
ter, Toni Eschler. Eschler met
Kovalosky while the artist was
molding subjects in Vermont.
"This is a life project," Kova-
losky explained.
That life project brought her
to the high school, where art
students ~pent the entire school
day yesterday helping the artist
wrap and mask fellow students
and staff in the plaster casts.
Kovalosky's aim is to create
totem poles from the molds, .
with the height of the totem
pole representing the square
i mileage of a given place and the
number of casts used represent- Tom Spader Photos
ing the population. Sculptural artist Serena Kovalosky arranges castings of students' body parts for the art proj-
"The basis is to promote an ect "Totems of Humanity" at Brick Township High School. Below, from left to right, Kaity
I understanding of other cul- McCabe, 16, Jacque Bucci, 16, and Holly Haberman, 17, join hands during the molding pro-
tures," Kovalosky said. cess.
Volunteers were able to
choose which body part they people always show up," she
wanted molded. At the end of said, explaining the process
the day, Kovalosky had nearly hinges on vulnerability. "It's a
25 new molds to add to her col- lesson in letting go."
lection,· bringing the total to Kovalosky, originally from
around 70. upstate New York but now a
"We had people coming back Montreal, Quebec resident of
for seconds," said Eschler, who Canada, keeps a journal of her
helped with yesterday's wraps. travels She hasthe people she
molds.
and
used children as
"It was total magic,". Kova- well as adults, and said the
losky added. younger subjects do not have
Kovalosky, who has been trouble with the 45 minutes it
doing the molds since 1998,is takes to complete the mold.
so intimately involved with the Although the project involves
project that she has molded covering up her subjects, the
herself twice. As she learned end result reveals their true
during that process, the project selves, Kovalosky said.
certainly has· a spiritual ele- "It's kind of capturing the es-
ment. sence of the person, who every-
"It's interesting to see who body is really, when we take off
shows up and why. The right the masks."