Tapeman is something of a legend which we did last summer. Copying work we saw in JUXTAPOZ magazine, ace student Keenan Cassidy and I (along with Nicole and Melissa) made a tape man last year and brought the local police to visit the display.
A tapeman is simply a tape sculpture of a person which you then cover in clothing and display somewhere. You use so much tape that the figure is strong enough to stand on its own.
The picture is from this year's TAPEMAN, and we had Number 3 son Adam as our model/victim; you can see Emily giving him a sympathetic look while Keenan (in yellow) and I are absorbed with making it impossible for him to move his legs (which it was).
You do the figure in segments, lower body first -- build it up and then cut it off (carefully). Then the top half and you assemble the two parts. The result is a near perfect replica of the original. It's very important that you do it in halves so the model will be able to breath.
The figure is then dressed, and since he has no face you use a sweatshirt with hood or a wig to cover this-- and then you stand them up or sit them in a public place and watch the reaction from the public. Successful displays usually result in a stop by the local police to make sure the victim-- and remember every statue should either be sitting or standing so that there is no concern that this is someone in trouble, it would be bad karma to make the figure lying down and then tie up emergency response personnel.
TAPEMAN lives again-- and you can find him displayed outside the museum somewhere.
