Overview of Sculpture “Sculpture is the only branch of the visual arts that is specifically concerned with expressive three-dimension form." Definition of Sculpture: • Three dimensional forms created by modeling, carving or assembling • Three dimensional = having height, width and depth 2D 3D Sculpture is the largest category of three dimensional artwork. • During the 20th century, the definition of sculpture has widened a great deal and has become an ever-expanding art form that is constantly evolving and redefining itself. • This is because of developments of new sculptural tools and technology. • Contemporary works now exhibit a huge variety of new materials and techniques. Past Characteristics 1. Representational 2. One solid mass with no movement. 3. Only carved or modeled (carved directly from stone, wood, marble or built it up from the inside using clay, plaster, wax, etc.) Modern Characteristics 1. Representational & abstract 2. Solid, static or use empty space in an important way & capable of movement (kinetic) 3.Carved, cast, modeled, assembled or constructed in a variety of ways. Two Basic Sculptural Forms: 1. Sculpture in the round (freestanding sculpture) = art meant to be view from all sides 2. Relief (high vs. low) = Sculpture that projects from a background surface. Relief Sculpture Examples 8 main ways to make sculpture: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Carved Modeling Cast Constructed Assembled Kinetic Environmental Installations Carved • Sculptures made from wood, stone, marble which are shaped by removing the material Modeling Modeling • Sculptures made by shaping forms from soft, workable material Cast Casting • Sculptures created by hollowing a mold and filling it with material that hardens. –Plastics, plaster and concrete mixtures The Thinker, Rodin, 1902 Constructed • Sculptures built from traditional or industrial materials shaped by the artist. The parts may be of a single material, such as metal or a variety of material. Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi Assemblages Assemblages • Sculptures constructed from a variety of ready-made materials and objects not often intended for making art. Joseph Cornell Kinetic Kinetic • Sculpture that moves, either from wind, falling water, temperature changes, springs, air pumps, pull strings or computers. Environmental Environmental • Sculptures that interact with, but do not alter, the natural environment, and works that involve a humanmade environment. Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England, prehistoric monument, 3500 BC Installations Installations • Sculptures using various materials that can be permanent and are not confined to gallery spaces. Often they interact with public environments. Recent climate change campaign at Berlin by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo was extremely creative and dark. It was an installation art consisting of 1000 tiny ice sculptures of men sitting on the steps of Berlin concert hall. This artistic installation on the occasion of release of the report entitled Impact of Global Climate Change was sponsored by WWF A large jellyfish moves slowly, driven by the wind over the Phoenix Park homonymous city in Arizona. The creator of Her Secret is Paciencia, out of scale and natural environment, Janet Echelman, no American artist to experiment with new textile sculptures. On the water of the Richmond Olympic Oval (British Columbia (CA), for example, has recently opened Water Sky Garden, suspended structure made of PTFE. The works are adapted to their natural rhythms of the turn of day and seasons. Reflections on the water which multiply the embodiment of the installation, beautiful dress for the night light that illuminates the sky. Brian Goggin, an artist of infinite sculptural jest, has left his mark on the West Coast with his whimsical and vibrant layering of found objects and chaosprovoking sculptures.
