Resin
A type of glue which comes from many types of tree and plant. It is a by-product of oil; a treacle-like substance that solidifies with the addition of a hardener and an accelerator. Resin is insoluble in water and in art it is used as an ingredient in varnishes. Today, it is one of the new materials used in sculpture, along with silicone rubbers and glass fibres. Resins allow for cold casting, whereas traditional casting methods need heat. In the past soft resins from living trees have been used as well as hard fossil resins such as amber. Clear resin can have objects embedded in it and can be painted.
Sir Malcolm Campbell
by H.A. Stermann
circa 1935
NPG 4195
Melanie Klein
by Eileen Klein
circa 1968
NPG 6484
Sir (Bertram) Clough Williams-Ellis
by Hans Feibusch
1976
NPG 5967
Lynn Seymour
by Andrew Logan
1987-1993
NPG 6222