From 2019 to 2021, Factum Arte worked with Paula Crown on the production of a bronze version of her celebrated ‘JOKESTER’ sculpture: titled Resilience, it reinvents the crushed and compacted form of a Solo cup in a new medium.

Resilience forms part of her #SOLOTOGETHER series that alludes to the devastating environmental impact of single-use plastics. The bronze sculpture extends the artist’s intention to memorialise the collective suffering experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, reminding us of humankind’s resilience and ability to transfer energy even through the most mundane of objects.

Factum Arte conducted a high-resolution scan of Solo red cup using photogrammetry. The 3D model was scaled 27:1 and CNC-milled in sections in polyurethane. The finer elements, such as the creases and wrinkles of the plastic cup, were sanded and sculpted into the surface by hand. A fine surface filler was applied to the milled sections to create a smooth surface in preparation for the moulding process.

Each moulded section was then sent to the foundry to be cast in bronze, and then welded together, using air tools to restore the details lost during the process. The text and symbols featured at the base of the cup were chased by hand and the interior section of the cup was mirror polished.

In the final phases of the production, the external surface of the bronze sculpture was patinated with silver nitrate and treated with lacquer to protect it from rainfall, humidity and prevent oxidation. The finished work was then fitted to its base.

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