What is Cast Paper Sculpture?

Cast paper sculpture has been in existence since the 1950’s. It should not be confused with papier-mâché, as the two mediums are completely different .

To create his cast paper sculptures, Allen Eckman first mixes an acid-free paper pulp in the studio hydro-pulper from two raw stocks—cotton and abica. Then the pulp is cast into molds which Allen makes from original clay sculptures. The paper is then pressed under vacuum pressure in the mold where most of the water is extracted at the same time. The drying process is completed by evaporation while the paper is still in the mold. After the dry and hard casts are removed from the molds the exclusive process of chasing cast additions, cast alterations, sculpting in paper and detailing begins.

It takes a great amount of time and experience to create each piece. Some works are so detailed they can take many months to complete. "The cast paper process is similar to the cast bronze method in many ways," says Eckman. The finished product is white, light weight and characterized by purity and warmth. Because of these properties and Eckman’s inventiveness, the medium can have an enormous amount of detail. Since the paper is acid free, these sculptures are all museum quality.

Since 1988 Allen and his wife Patty have developed and perfected the medium of cast paper far beyond any other artist. They are the developers of the Eckman Method of Cast Paper Sculpture, which is their trademark. Many critics consider their work to be the best of the industry.

Make an Allen Eckman original part of you fine art collection!