How is sculpture different from the other types of art we have looked at? Sculpture exists or occupies real three dimensional space as we do. We experience sculpture through surfaces and profiles.
Relief sculpture- projects from a background surface
- Bas-Relief
- High Relief
Freestanding sculpture- is “in the round”
We will look at some specific examples of these in the next few slides.
Bas-relief or Low-relief : the surface is slightly projected, minimal shadows occur.
In the example on the left you see that the imagery is very delicate, not carved deeply, shadows are soft. This is from the Temple complex of Khmer empire in 12th C. This displays a several nice rhythms through the figures and spears and in the curving decorative foliage. Set apart from the repeated elements is the dominant prince and elephant.
The example on the right is from the classical period of ancient Greece in Sicily and represents a high point in the art of coin design. In general all coin imagery is bas-relief
When compared to the last two examples, you should be able to see a difference in the depth of the carving in this work.
In High relief, more than ½ of the natural circumference of the form projects, and there are substantial undercuts.
You can see that this panel is full of conflicting figures, twisting in all kinds of painfully exaggerated gestures and diagonals. The work reflects the artist’s view of the horrors of corporate dog-eat dog competition.
Free-standing sculpture is just that, free standing. It is meant to be seen experienced from all sides. Because we are looking at a slide image, we are limited to seeing this work as flat and from only one side. If you think back to when we learned about negative shapes, you can start to think about the sculpture as not just a piece of metal, rather a total of the negatives, shadows, changing light and changing profiles.
Carving is a one way technique. What I mean by this is that material can only be removed and once it is removed, it can’t be put back on. Each material has it’s own characteristics or tendencies.
Michelangelo believed that sculpture was a process of releasing the form he had seen in his mind’s eye from within the block of stone. That is what we get a glimpse of here. The figure is emerging- we see rough cuts and refined areas that have had more attention.
Unlike carving that allows for few if any mistakes, modeling is a process that lends itself to reworking and easy changes.
This work has been finished as a cast bronze, but it would have started out as a modeled clay form. The white patina reverts the surface back to looking like clay.
Ceramic artist Robert Arneson is best known for his many self-portraits and believed that all art was self portraiture. His work has an attitude of humor and irony and sometimes dealt with unpleasant subjects.
Casting involves the substitution of one material for another.
Degas is probably most known for his pastel and painted works but turned to sculpture to work out anatomical problems through the sense of touch. Here he portrays a 14 year old ballet dancer. He incorporates real hair and fabrics which was innovative at the time. It was shown during an 1881 Impressionist exhibition.
Sculptors are incorporating more innovative materials such as synthetic media, resins and plastics that can be painted are look like a variety of other materials. With unbelievable realism, polyvinyl can look like flesh.
Because this is a broad area of types of material, a wide variety of techniques may be appropriate. We will see some examples of this later in the presentation
We will look at some more specific information about these traditional sculpture materials.
Working in stone is a tedious process. Each type of stone has it’s own characteristics: hardness, color, grain characteristic etc. And each type of stone has to be worked in different ways.
Wood also has more tensile strength than stone. This means that is the material is stressed, wood actually has some flexibility, stone would crack or break. Thin projections are more likely to break off when made in stone vs. wood.
Oldenburg takes a light hearted approach to something very common that we know as hard and cold, making it soft and pliable.
In 1895 the oxyacetylene torch was invented but artists didn’t realize its potential. In the 1920’s Gonzalez pioneered the use of the welding torch for cutting and welding in sculpture.
After a second glance one sees the bicycle seat and handle bar.
Look closely and you might notice a large rubber ball, ceramic cup handle, an upside down car, and two people in another car.
This technique depends on the attitude that found objects or “readymades”- such as bottle racks and urinals- could be literally elevated as works of art by being placed on pedestals- literally or figuratively.
These objects are invested with a new idea and prompt the spectator to think.
This is a sculptural environment created by a tile setter with cement on a steel frame with broken dishes, mirrors, glass, tile and shell.
This mixed media piece tells and ancient Chinese war story. A general dares the enemy to shoot at his boats. The enemy obliges and the arrows are so many that they actually help the generals boat to float higher. Suspending the boat in mid air lends extra drama and interest to the piece.
Kinetic sculptures actually move.
This piece is weighted and balanced and constantly changing because of movement supplied by wind.
Calder, was well known for his kinetic work. He started as a child by making toys.
Using artificial light in his composition, the artist working in this technique is concerned with the physical and psychological effects of color and with the creation of visual illusions.
Smithson’s Spiral Jetty was created by bulldozing rock and earth into a spiral form in Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
As unpleasant and shocking as it may seem, body parts and body by-products might be featured in a sculpture.