To create translucent sculptures in the colossal proportions he desired, De Wain Valentine needed a new type of plastic. Valentine MasKast Resin, developed with Hastings Plastics in the 1960s, allowed Valentine to create huge resin works like the “Gray Columns” (1975–76), which at 3,500 pounds far exceeded the material’s previous breakage limit of 50 pounds.

The Luminous Plastic of an Underappreciated Light and Space Artist