Soft and protected from this world of stone

Despite the spirit of collegiality at Riddled Manor, debate currently rages on an important artistic issue... i.e. the best medium for converting models' bodies directly into artworks, if one is an artist manqué who lacks the eptitude to copy those bodies (or if one seeks -- purely asking for a friend! -- to dispose of corporeal superfluities that might otherwise lead to persistent questioning from the constabulary).

Metal casting...

...or electroplating?

Dorothy Sayers rates for the latter technique, which surely must weigh heavily in the balance.
Some would say, of course, and some have indeed said, loudly and at length, that tangible media for sculpture are a thing of the past, so one might as well be completely revivalist -- the more old-fashioned the technique, the better. Waxworks are an old favourite. They must be a tradition, or an old charter or something.

The renewed recognition of anatomical preparation as an art-form allows for murder victims to be concealed in full view as plastinated exhibits. Jokes about "purloined letters" are only acceptable if the corpse is that of a tenant.

If you turn yourself into the anatomical preparation / aesthetic object, you are probably DOIN IT RONG.


Modelling clay and plaster-of-Freedom Paris have their adherents.

The possibilities of mineralised petrifying waterfalls have been sadly neglected. More research is needed. The use of leprechaun magic to petrify people -- or sufficiently advanced technology -- is probably cheating, and to be deprecated.

"I have a nasty feeling," Another Kiwi interjected, "that this is leading up to one or more bad puns about petrification."

Niche, nicely filled, fwoar

"Just saying," tigris just said, "the living-statue fetishism blogging niche is already occupied... so if you were thinking of driving up traffic by trolling about the superior sex-appeal of old-fashioned stars like Cary Granite and Greta Gabbro, don't bother."

"Were you never taught," I grumbled, "that if you can't say anything gneiss, don't say anything at all?"