Local natural latex, a potential sculptural medium

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Date
1992-09-28
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Abstract
This research has been undertaken to evaluate the suitability of local tree latex as a potential sculptural medium in second cycle institutions and for use by the artist in Ghana. It has been specifically designed to provide the art teacher and his students with the basic guidelines on how to acquire and use natural latex as local substitutes for imported and scarce sculptural media such as plaster of paris, Vinamould, fibre glass etc. This research serves as a practical solution to some of the perpetual problems facing art teachers, especially, in Senior Secondary Schools as well as Teacher Training Colleges, concerning materials for casting in sculpture. Latex, in general, has been employed in industry as material for production of foam rubbers, tyres, pipes (P.V.C.) shoe soles and plastic products. Latex from the para rubber (havea brasiliese) and fuhtumia elestica trees been chosen among others for the rpose of the research, the two trees rank high among the list. These are chosen because they are commonly found in Ghana. To meet the school requirements, simple experiments were conducted to test the suitability of the local natural latex as a potential sculptural medium. The results, though not the best are indicative of the effectiveness of these latex as a potential sculptural medium. This research has come out with other uses that local natural latex can be put to in terms of sculpture. In addition to its already known traditional uses as material for indigenous ball making material and as parchment stretched over the opening sides of empty tins as toy drums for children. It can be used as additional sculptural material besides cement, plaster of paris, polyfilla, vinamould, and glass fiber. This research proposes a step-by-step approach to the use of local natural latex in creating sculpture pieces through casting, modelling in-the-round and relief works model lesson plan on the application o the latex has been provided as a guide to teachers. The aim is to find out the possibility of using local natural latex as a resource material for sculpture and the relevant benefits that latex can offer in. terms of skills and knowledge that will predispose the student to creative individuality in a vocational oriented education. This research has been made possible through interviews with people, literary materials, personal observation and experiments. It is hoped that this thesis would be of vluab1e h1p to both art teachers and students, especially, those in the second cycle institutions; and to some extent, the practising sculptors and the local rubber and plastic industries
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Art Education, 1992
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