The Panel That Reads Flat: Relief Depth and Top Light
A school wants a 60 × 45 cm panel for a corridor wall. A fluorescent tube 40 cm above the panel throws light down the wall, so the relief is lit mainly from the top; viewers stand about 1.5 m away. The brief asks for four figures - a farmer, a weaver, a child, and a tree - all within 2 cm of projection, cast in plaster from a clay original on a 12 mm plywood board. The clay is stuck to the board with slip only; there is no armature and no keying. After two days, two figures have separated at the waist, the tree crown has cracked, and the weaver's hand projects 4 cm and is undercut. The student says the panel looks like 'flat cut-outs pasted on a slab'. The teacher warns that the panel must survive transport to the examination centre and be mounted flush. The student has three days and 6 kg of clay left.
1. Diagnose the structural failures and the 'flat cut-out' effect. Which is cause and which is symptom?
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The separation at the waist and the cracked tree crown are structural failures: clay stuck to plywood with slip only has no mechanical key, and it shrinks away from the board as it dries. The tree crown is an unsupported mass, so it cracks at its weakest section. The 'flat cut-out' effect is a separate compositional problem, though it is made worse by the top light. All four figures sit on the same plane, with similar projection and rounded edges; there is no overlap, no near/far hierarchy, and no compression of planes. The projecting hand is not the cause of depth; it is an isolated lump that breaks the 2 cm brief and creates a black shadow under top light. In bas-relief, depth is suggested by overlapping planes and compressed forms, not by one high projection. The hand should be reduced and sloped, not undercut. The panel needs a clear foreground, middle ground, and background within the 2 cm limit.
2. Plan repairs and a revised relief scheme within the 2 cm limit. Include how to attach and dry the panel.
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Repairs: remove the separated figures, clean the old slip, cross-hatch both clay and board, and reattach with fresh slip plus mechanical keys - clay dovetails or wire loops fixed to the board. Do not simply paint slip on the surface. For the tree crown, drill and fix a wire armature or rebuild the crown hollow with a thick edge. For any limb that projects, use a wire core.
Revised scheme within 2 cm: reserve the highest projection (about 2 cm) for the farmer's shoulder or the weaver's hand as focal points; set the child and tree at 1-1.5 cm; keep the background at 0.5-1 cm. Slope every forward face slightly upward so the top light catches a plane rather than a rounded edge. Remove the 4 cm hand and rebuild it at 2 cm with no undercut.
Drying and transport: dry slowly under plastic for the first two days, then uncover gradually. Thicken the panel edges and cast a plaster backing or wooden batten frame so it can be mounted flush. A thin plaster panel with unsupported corners will crack in transport.
3. How should the panel be lit and viewed to be judged fairly? Explain what the examiner should see.
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The panel should be judged under raking light from the side or upper side, not straight down. Top light alone puts the undercuts into black and washes the flat planes, so the student's 'cut-out' reading is partly a lighting fault and partly a relief fault. For fair viewing, use a light at about 30-45 degrees from the left or right, with the viewer at 1.5 m and the panel mounted vertically. The examiner should see: a clear near/far order; overlapping figures; a focal hand or shoulder at maximum projection; and shadows that describe form without black holes. A matte plaster surface is better than gloss because gloss creates hotspots. The student should also explain the brief: 2 cm maximum projection rules out true high relief, so the panel must rely on compression, overlap, and plane changes. If the lighting cannot be changed, the safest fix is to reduce undercuts and tilt planes toward the existing top light.