I am interested in using stucco for a large scale sculpture art project and was wondering if anyone familiar with the way it behaves could give me advice on how to use it. I've never used stucco before but it seems to be the best choice of medium for an exterior plaster. The way I want to use it is pretty unconventional and I hope my explanation is clear enough to understand. I would greatly appreciate any advice.

I am building a giant 10' tall egg. I've welded a steel armature, basically its internal structure/skeleton. What I am planning on doing now is wrapping chicken wire around the armature to use as the stucco lath. I want to then apply the stucco onto the chicken wire to serve as the shell of the egg. My main concern is whether the stucco will adhere to the chicken wire lath without any backing to it. I understand that usually the lath is backed with a waterproof paper. I am planning on using the two-layer stucco (quikrete scratch and finish from Lowes). Any advice that might pertain to this bizarre project and how stucco works would be amazing and greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

You would need 5-7 layers of chicken wire (poultry cloth) to provide enough surface for stucco to adhere. Applying stucco is like troweling on cement, the chicken wire is so thin it will just slice right through the cement. You should explore plaster metal lath Metal Lath & Accessories

Stanard stucco will shrink crack too much and weigh a ton. Its cement.

Bals expanedable metal lath is perfect for your rounded project

Over that apply Structolite

STRUCTO-LITE Basecoat - USG Corporation

Then actual plaster