Moonmen Sculptures
Tasked with creating a "hero" focal point to highlight a line of holiday products, I designed and hand-sculpted two large-scale reproductions of the collection's hallmark ornament. These "Moonmen" served as the visual cornerstone of the showroom’s seasonal holiday display, bridging the gap between small-scale product design and immersive environmental installation.
I built these Moonmen while snowed-in at my studio using materials salvaged from previous projects. The process was an exercise in precision, scale, and resourcefulness. Utilizing a core of high-density insulation foam, I built the facial features through an iterative layering process of butcher paper and repurposed materials. To capture the ethereal, "puffed glass" quality of the original ornament, I applied multiple layers of plaster, sanding each to a fine finish to ensure a seamless, soft-focus silhouette. I applied a cool white pearlescent paint as a base coat to mimic the glass, using an airbrush to dust the edges and cheeks. Matching the specific sheen and color was vital to the integrity of the reproduction.
To enhance the narrative of the installation, I integrated suspended organza drapery to create an abstracted aurora borealis effect, providing a luminous backdrop that directed viewer focus toward the central figures. This spatial intervention successfully drove consumer engagement and pushed the featured ornament into the company’s top 50 products for the Spring 2025 season.
