Cynthia Plaster Caster has died. The artist known for creating plaster models of rock stars' erect penises died following a lengthy illness at 74.
Cynthia Plaster Caster was born Cynthia Albritton in Chicago. She came up with the idea for plaster casting penises in a college art class, as the erect penis would soften and then withdraw from the mould.
A self-described "recovering groupie," her first celebrity client was Jimi Hendrix in 1968, and she later went on to do casts of Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys, Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson of MC5, David Yow of the Jesus Lizard, Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks, Ariel Pink and many more.
In recent decades, she began doing plaster casts of breasts, including Laetitia Sadie of Stereolab, Peaches, Suzi Gardner of L7, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeah and more.
Frank Zappa acted as a patron to Cynthia Plaster Caster's art. Although he himself didn't have a cast done, he moved her to Los Angeles and helped her preserve her casts for future exhibition. She finally held as exhibition in 2000.
Cynthia Plaster Caster inspired KISS's song "Plaster Caster" and Jim Croce's "Five Short Minutes," and she's name-checked in various other songs.
In 2010, she unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Chicago.
Cynthia Plaster Caster was born Cynthia Albritton in Chicago. She came up with the idea for plaster casting penises in a college art class, as the erect penis would soften and then withdraw from the mould.
A self-described "recovering groupie," her first celebrity client was Jimi Hendrix in 1968, and she later went on to do casts of Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys, Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson of MC5, David Yow of the Jesus Lizard, Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks, Ariel Pink and many more.
In recent decades, she began doing plaster casts of breasts, including Laetitia Sadie of Stereolab, Peaches, Suzi Gardner of L7, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeah and more.
Frank Zappa acted as a patron to Cynthia Plaster Caster's art. Although he himself didn't have a cast done, he moved her to Los Angeles and helped her preserve her casts for future exhibition. She finally held as exhibition in 2000.
Cynthia Plaster Caster inspired KISS's song "Plaster Caster" and Jim Croce's "Five Short Minutes," and she's name-checked in various other songs.
In 2010, she unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Chicago.
