MOLD MAKING FOR DUPLICATES
When artist Becky Gottsegen began sculpting these portraits of men who'd been exonerated by Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO), she did so in order to honor the men and let them know they were seen and their stories were heard. After she'd sculpted five of them with intentions of sculpting them all, her son encouraged her to put together an exhibit of the portraits to draw awareness to the plight of how many innocent people are still wasting away in prison for crimes they did not commit.
The original portraits were exhibited at The Building in New Orleans, Louisiana in May, 2024, with a great response. Shortly thereafter Becky found a friend who allowed her to use her amazing big studio in Baton Rouge to make molds of each of the 23 busts. Becky hired a woman from Atlanta who teaches mold making to spend a few weeks in Baton Rouge to help her make molds of each of the originals. These photos show the long and difficult process that work entailed! But in the end, Becky was able to create duplicates for future exhibitions.
