Sculpture

Outline What is Sculpture? Sculptural Techniques Materials/ mediums use in sculpture Characteristics of the Materials Sculptural Concerns

Sculpture Sculpture comes from Latin word “Sculpere” – meaning to carve. It refers to the creation of three-dimensional figures, forms designs from a single block mass of materials. Sculpture may be the oldest of the arts.

Sculpture There are two major sculptural processes: Subtractive- unwanted materials is cut away Additive- construction of a figure by putting together.

Duane Hanson Tourists, 1970 Example of Subtractive sculptural process.

Calder Example of Additive sculptural process Youtube clip on Calder

Louise Nevelson, Dawn's Wedding Chapel IV, from Dawn's Wedding Feast, 1959-60

Louise Nevelson, Self-Portrait: Silent Music IV, 1964 Louise Nevelson, Royal Tide I, 1960

Louise Nevelson, Title Mirror shadow XXXVII

Louise Nevelson, Night Zag XIV

Sculptural Techniques Sculpture is created in four basic ways: Carving Modeling Casting Construction

Sculpture Carving Subtractive process: material is removed Mainly wood and stone (marble)

Sculpture Modeling Additive process: material is added to build up a shape Clay, wax, plaster, paper-mache

Sculpture Casting: a mold is used to form molten bronze(or other material) into a desired shape. http://www.verylgoodnight.com/casting3.html

Sculpture Casting: “Lost wax” method or cire-perdue, often used for jewelry or small sculptures http://library.thinkquest.org/23492/data/bronze.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0318

Sculpture Construction: Additive process; welding, gluing, nailing materials together.

Sculpture Assemblage: assembling found objects in unique ways. Joseph Cornell

Alexander Calder: the mobile Sculpture Kinetic Sculpture: movable parts (wind) Alexander Calder: the mobile

Characteristics of the Materials use in Sculpture

Materials use in Sculpture Stone- hard and durable, weather and fire resistant, but is heavy and durable. Basalt and Diorite (black and hard) Marble (finely-grained, with crystalline sparkle) Granite- (tough, coarse-grained but suitable for bold effects) Limestone- (Softer)

Materials use in Sculpture Wood- lighter, softer, and cheaper, and easy to cut. Terra Cotta- which means “ baked earth” is made by firing clay, as in pottery making. Bronze- is solid and too expensive. The difficult process of casting bronze is one of its disadvantages.

Sculptural Concerns Pictorial Sculpture- the artist, like the painter, is more concerned with details than anything else. Sculpturesque Sculpture- the artist is more concerned with the medium/materials used. Built- up- the artist is very much concerned with the medium/materials used but also with details.

KINDS OF SCULPTURE

Sculpture Relief: attached to a surface or a background

Sculpture Free-standing or full-round. -free standing sculpture that can be seen from all sides.

Sculpture Kinetic and Mobiles are moving three- dimensional figures, best example are those which are suspended on air.

Sculpture Tools: chisels armature