A versatile mixture of gypsum or lime with water, plaster has a multitude of uses in the visual arts. Plaster takes the form of a putty or paste, which can be molded or manipulated to the artist’s desire. Traditionally used for wall decoration, plaster can be applied to a wall and then painted while wet, a technique called fresco that has been practiced since antiquity and was extremely prevalent in the Renaissance. Plaster can also be formed into sculptural relief forms as part of the architectural decoration of a wall. In a contemporary take on this technique, the artist José Parla creates sculptural paintings covered with layers of plaster, paint, and gestural markings. Parla sands away some layers of these works to form a sort of palimpsest that refers to a fictional history.

Plaster is a common material used in the process of sculpture making. It can easily be used to make a copy of another three-dimensional object, by applying soft plaster to the original to form a mould. After hardening, the mould is removed and new plaster can be poured into it to form a positive copy. The resulting object is called a plaster cast. Many artists through the years have assembled collections of plaster casts to serve as inspirations or demonstrations of technique. Hardened plaster can also be carved to make a preliminary version of a work to later be made in marble or other stone. Less commonly, plaster is used to create finished works of sculpture. Some artists who have used plaster for finished works include Richard Tuttle, Sarah Lucas, Alan McCollum, and Rachel Whiteread.