HUM1020 JM Nelson

SCULPTURE: TERMS & NOTES

  • Permanence: because of its permanence, sculpture often represents the only artifact of entire civilizations
  • Sculpture: is 3-dimensional art / Because of its three-dimensionality, it comes very close to reality in its depiction

Types of sculpture- full round, relief, and linear

  • Full round: 3-dimensional & can be viewed from any angle. Because full round sculpture stands free and 3-dimensional, sculptors must concern themselves with practical aspects of gravity & engineering. They may use devices for support.
  • Relief: maintains 2-dimensional qualityand is not seen in the round, it is viewed only from one side. It is either low or high relief, because it protrudes from a background. High relief projects at least half of its depth from the background. Low relief projects less than half.
  • Linear: emphasizes construction with thin, elongated items, such as wire or neon tubing. Linear sculpture includes mobiles.

METHODS OF EXECUTION

SUBTRACTION- sculptor begins with large block of wood or stone and cuts away the unwanted material.

Types of rock:three types of rock are used by sculptors

  • (1) igneous: (granite)- hard, lasting, but difficult to carve
  • (2) Sedimentary: (limestone)- lasting, easy, when polished produces smooth & lustrous surface
  • (3) Metamorphic: (marble)- a sculptor’s ideal material because it is long lasting, a pleasure to carve, & exists in a broad range of colors

Carving Technique: the sculptor creates a model, smaller than the intended sculpture, a miniature, perhaps of clay, plaster or wax; and then works from the material intended for the finished piece

  • 1st: The sculptor roughsout the image- knocking away the waste to within 2 or 3 inches of what will be the finished area
  • 2nd: The sculptor uses a different set of carving tools, and finishes the material to precise detail
  • 3rd: Lastly the sculptor finishes by polishing the work

CONSTRUCTION-the sculptor starts with raw material and adds element to element to build the sculpture

  • Types of materials include plastics, metals such as aluminum or steel, terracotta clay, epoxy resins, wood
  • Combinations of these materials to create mixed media may be used OR combinations of techniques of execution

SUBSTITUTION-this is used with any material that is transformable from a plastic, molten or fluid state into a solid state. It is molded or cast.

To Create a Mold:

  • First the sculptor creates a Positive: the sculptor creates an identically sized model of the intended sculpture
  • Then the sculptor forms the Negative: after covering the model with plaster that when hardened is removed, the sculptor has then created the negative which becomes the mold for the actual sculpture
  • The sculptor casts the material: the molten material is then poured into the negative and is allowed to solidify; then when the mold is removed, the sculpture emerges. Polishing follows.

Lost Wax Technique

  • Lost wax technique is cast sculpture in which the mold uses a wax model that is then melted to leave spaces in the mold.

1. The sculptor covers a core of clay that is the shape of thesculpture with a layer of wax the thickness of the final work.

2. The sculptor then carves the details in the wax, attaches rods and a pouring cup made of wax to the model, and then covers everything with a thick layer of clay.

3. When the clay dries, the sculptor heats the mold to melt the wax & then pours molten metals into the mold.

4. When the metal solidifies, the clay mold is broken and removed- the sculpture cannot be duplicated.

Hollow Casting

  • In this type of sculpture, the sculpture is cast so that it is hollow. This is less expensive because it requires less material. It is also less prone to crack since it is less susceptible to expansion and contraction resulting from temperature change. It is also lighter, and easier to handle and ship.

MANIPULATION- this is also called modeling or shaping materials by skilled use of the hands. This is evidenced when a potter uses a wheel to create ceramic vessels from a lump of clay, or a glass blower forms art glass by blowing air into the molten glass.

Additional Sculpture Techniques

  • 1. Found Objects: Artist changes of context of objects, or combines found objects in a different way, or decides that a certain object has an aesthetic reference and presents it as such.
  • 2. Ephemeral art: This is a conceptual art that is designed to be transitory. It makes statement then ceases to exist.

Art Elements in Sculpture

  • Mass (Space): Unlike shapes on a 2-dimensional picture plane, sculpture takes up 3-dimensional space and thus consists of actual volume and density. It is literal mass.
  • Line & Form: The form of the sculpture draws our interest and we discuss line in terms of how it is revealed in the form.

1. Geometric and organic shapes

2. Open form- when the lines of the sculpture direct the eye through the piece and then off into space

3. Closed form- when the eye is directed continually back into the form

  • Color- materials may be chose for their colors, or the work may be painted. Other materials may be chosen so that nature will provide the final color through weathering.
  • Texture- roughness or smoothness of the surface becomes a tangible characteristic in sculpture. This can be perceived or physical.
  • Space- Negative space refers to shapes or openings in the sculpture that can be of significance to the work.

Design Principles in Sculpture

  • Balance: this refers to how the elements are distributed on either side of a work of art. Symmetrical is the same on both sides; asymmetrical is different on each side
  • Proportion: the size relationship between parts of a whole
  • Scale: the size in relation to what is considered normal or consistent
  • Repetition & Variation: repeating various elements in a work of art and then varying it by changing that rhythm
  • Articulation: manner by which our eyes move from one element in the sculpture to the next & how the artist has joined the various components together
  • Focal area (emphasis)- area of greater interest; where our eyes linger the longest
  • Dynamics- movement or activity of the art elements in the work. The 3-dimensionality of sculpture heightens this and causes us to experience a sense of dynamics as we move around the piece.

Movement may also exist in the piece itself.

Sensory Experienceof Sculpture

  • Touch- we can feel it. Any work of sculpture attracts our touch.
  • Temperature– color implies temperature (warm or cool colors).
  • Weathering-the effects of temperature and climate have an impact on the sculpture.
  • Age- our response to a work may be shaped by the effects of age. Ancient objects possess character, and might have greater emotional impact.
  • Size- our senses respond to the weight and scale of a work because it has mass. A sculpture of 3 feet tall has a very different impact than one that is 30 feet tall!
  • Materials- sometimes the artist disguises the materials (stone carved to look like drapery) or in reverse, the artist may emphasize the materials used by incorporating their natural patterns into the meaning of the work.
  • Lighting- Light plays a fundamental role in our perception of 3-dimensional objects. The direction & sources of light on a sculpture can change the composition. Whether displayed outdoors or indoors, the light affects the overall presentation of the work.
  • Environment- where and how a work is exhibited contributes to our response. There is a difference in impact on our senses between a sculpture displayed in a carefully designed environment that screens our vision from distractions; and a sculpture that is exhibited in a busy public park. Sculpture that is on display in a museum is lit differently and removed from the tactile experience compared to artwork that is out of doors and accessible to the public.

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