Plastering the Subways

In this video I perform my protection situation that I've been working on in the past weeks, using the subway hero story (http://hilllparsons2013.blogspot.com/2013/04/subway-hero.html) as inspiration, at the 14th street and 7th avenue MTA 1,2,3 subway station. 

In the video I can be seen untaping the box, this is because I pre-made the box and loosely held it together using the tape. Then I begin using vaseline to lubricate the plan of the box. I started out using a palette knife, but soon realized that using my hand was faster. By this time, I had accumulated a crowd on the subway platform. A man saw that I was using my hands and gave me a towel, explaining that he didn't need it back because he had accidentally taken it from his place of employment.

Next I began to tape the box closed using duct tape. I struggled to get the tape off the roll due to the vaseline, so the towel came in handy.

Afterwards, I mixed the plaster that I was going to use to cast the box, using a simple 2:1 ratio of plaster and water. 

Then, I stood with the box and crushed it in a motion that is similar to someone protecting an object. This was the most important part of my performance so far, the crushing of the box represented the act of protecting another person. I then began to cast the crumpled box. I poured the plaster in the box and attempted to complete a "slush" cast of the box. (See "Slush" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_mold_casting#Slush) After the plaster was placed and the mess was made, now became the time to wait. Waiting for the plaster to set was representative of the anticipation one feels while protecting another during a hectic situation. The unknown outcome of the protection attempt, and not knowing whether or not everything was going to be okay, not knowing if either person will survive. 

After waiting a time, using the arrivals of the 1 train as a checking timer, I untaped the box again and revealed the unsuccessful cast. The failed attempt represents the sometimes failed attempt of protection, the loss of life, literal or otherwise. The cast could've been successful, and the meaning would have been the opposite. But, the unpredictability of the outcome was a large part of my situation. The outcomes of life are unpredictable. In the case of Mr. Autrey and Mr. Hollopeter the outcome was positive, but in the case of Ki-Suck Han (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/ki-suck-han-dead-man-fatally-struck-train-nypd_n_2236791.html)it was fatal.