Elyse Graham Studio Sparks Joy With Sculpture

The sculptural objects made by the Los Angeles–based Elyse Graham Studio begin with what is essentially a simple balloon. Hydrocal plaster is poured inside one, and then pumped with air and rotated so the liquid coats the interior. When the plaster hardens, the balloon is peeled off, and, through a small opening, resin is poured into the interior in thin layers for additional strength. The roughly 9-inch-high Quasar Sculpture 01 is the result of similarly manipulating an inflated donut shape. The warped striations of pigment were created using a technique akin to marbling paper for a psychedelic exterior Elyse Graham describes as an “on-the-spot expression of joy.”