Since 1968, the artist has amassed a collection of plaster phalluses of some of music’s biggest names.
Cynthia Albritton, also known as Cynthia Plaster Caster, died. She was known for her plaster casts of rock singers’ penises and other body parts. She was 74 years old at the time.
Her rep told Stereogum and other outlets that the artist and self-described “recovering groupie” died Thursday in her birthplace of Chicago after “a long illness.”
According to Deadline, she was born on May 24, 1947, in Chicago and received her nickname. After launching her legendary painting series in 1968, when she formed a cast of Jimi Hendrix members. She quickly relocated her business to Los Angeles with the support of Frank Zappa. Who admired her work but refused to pose for a film.
Albritton then expanded the series to include female artists’ breasts and filmmakers. According to her, she eventually gathered 50 plaster penises from the likes of Wayne Kramer of the MC5. Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks, and Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, as well as breast, casts from Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab. Sally Timms of The Mekons, Peaches, and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Despite claiming she never cast any of the band’s members. Kiss leader Gene Simmons dedicated their 1977 song “Plaster Caster” from their album Love Gun to Albritton. The lyrics go, “The plaster is getting tougher /, And my love is perfection / A token of my affection / For her collection.”
Albritton’s first show of the casts took place in New York in 2000. Plaster Caster, a documentary about her, was released the following year.
Through the Cynthia P Caster Foundation, she used her craft to collect money for other struggling musicians and artists. In 2002, she told the Chicago Reader, “My plaster casts are my darling babies, and this is my huge baby.”
The artist also dabbled in politics for a time, running for mayor of Chicago in 2010 under the “hard party” banner.
“I am a regular person who is sick and tired of seeing our city’s problems worsen, and I believe we all have a role in making our community the best it can be.”