Sculpture Richard Serra. The Matter of Time. 2005. varying dimensions.
Sculpture is art that exists in three dimensions The subtractive process is when an artist starts with a mass of material larger than the finished work and removes material to create an image. (i.e. carving) The additive process is when an artist builds a sculpture by adding material to create an image. (i.e. modeling, construction, assemblage, casting, and installation)
Relief- a sculpture that is meant to be seen by only one side (the front) and is still attached to a substructure. Senwosret I led by Atum to Amun-Re. c. 1930 BCE. height 13 ft. 6 in.
Low relief- a relief sculpture that extends from the substructure less than 180 degrees. Maidens and Stewards, fragment of the Panathenaic Procession, from the east frieze of the Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens. 447 438 BCE. height approximately 43 in.
High relief - a sculpture that extends from its substructure by at least half its depth. Many times, there will be elements that are completely in the round. Yu the Great Taming the Waters. Qing dynasty, completed 1787. height 7 ft. 4 1/4 in. x 3 ft. 1 3/4 in.
Yu the Great Taming the Waters (detail). Qing dynasty, completed 1787. height 7 ft. 4 1/4 in. x 3 ft. 1 3/4 in.
In the round- a sculpture that is meant to be seen from all sides, in 360 degrees. Giovanni da Bologna. The Rape of the Sabine Women. completed 1583. height 13 ft. 6 in.
Giovanni da Bologna. The Rape of the Sabine Women. completed 1583. height 13 ft. 6 in.
Carving- a subtractive process in which material is removed from a solid mass. Michelangelo. Atlas Slave. c. 1513 20. 9 ft. 2 in.
Materials: Wood Patrocinio Barela. Nativity. c. 1966. height of tallest figure 33 in.
Praxiteles. Hermes and Dionysos. c. 330 BCE. height 7 ft. 1 in. Stone (marble being the most common)
Modeling- using your hands to manipulate a soft and pliable material (usually clay) in order to create an image. Robert Arneson. Case of Bottles. 1964. 10 1/2 x 22 x 15 in.
Tomb of Emperor Shih Huang Ti. 221 206 BCE. life-size figures modeled using clay
Casting- a sculpting process that uses a mold into which a material (most commonly metal) is poured and allowed to harden. African, Nigeria, Edo, Court of Benin. Head of an Oba. Eighteenth century. height 13 1/8 in.
The Lost-Wax Casting Process. A positive model (1), often created with clay, is used to make a negative mold (2).
The Lost-Wax Casting Process. The mold is coated with wax, the wax shell is filled with a cool fireclay, and the mold is removed (3). Metal rods, to hold the shell in place, and wax rods, to vent the mold, are then added (4).
The Lost-Wax Casting Process. The whole is placed in sand, and the wax is burned out (5). Molten bronze is poured in where the wax used to be. When the bronze has hardened, the whole is removed from the sand, and the rods and vents are removed (6).
Auguste Rodin. The Burghers of Calais. 1884 85. 79 3/8 x 80 7/8 in. Bronze sculpture
Nancy Graves. Variability and Repetition of Similar Forms, II. 1979. 6 x 12 x 16 ft. Bronze sculpture
Many contemporary sculptors use alternative casting materials, such as fiberglass, plastics, resins, and rubber. Luis Jiménez. Howl. 1986. 60 x 29 x 29 in.
Assemblage - a sculpture that brings a group of individual objects together to form a larger whole. Often, these objects are common items that are unexpectedly turned into art material. Louise Nevelson. Sky Cathedral. 1958. 115 x 135 x 28 in.
Display piece, Yoruba culture. Early twentieth century. height 41 1/4 in. Assemblage sculpture
Robert Gober. Untitled. 1999. 33 1/2 x 40 x 24 in. Assemblage sculpture
Clyde Connell. Swamp Ritual. 1972. 81 x 24 x 22 in. Assemblage sculpture
Eva Hesse. Contingent. 1969. Reinforced fiberglass and latex over cheesecloth, height of each of 8 units, 114 118 in.; width of each of 8 units, 36 48 in.
Installationsculpture that transforms the experience of an environment or space Nancy Rubins. Pleasure Point. 2006. 304 x 637 x 288 in.
Kara Walker. Insurrection! (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On), installation view. 2000. site-specific dimensions.
Kara Walker. Insurrection! (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On), installation view. 2000. site-specific dimensions.
James Turrell. A Frontal Passage. 1994. 12 ft. 10 in. x 22 ft. 6 in. x 34 ft. Using light as a sculptural medium to create an installation
Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty. April 1970. 3 1/2 ft. x 15 ft. x 1,500 ft. Earthworks- sculpture that exists as large-scale, outdoor environments incorporating the Earth
Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty, as it appeared in August 2003.
Great Serpent Mound. Hopewell culture, c. 600 BCE 200 CE. Length approximately 1,254 ft. Ancient Earthwork
Nancy Holt. Sun Tunnels, Great Basin Desert, Utah (four showing). 1973 76. Four tunnels, each 18 ft. long x 9 ft. 4 in. in diameter; each axis 86 ft. long.
Nancy Holt. Sun Tunnels, Great Basin Desert, Utah (one front view). 1973 76. Four tunnels, each 18 ft. long x 9 ft. 4 in. in diameter; each axis 86 ft. long.
Karen McCoy. Considering Mother s Mantle. 1992. Earthwork
Karen McCoy. Considering Mother s Mantle, detail. 1992.
Allan Kaprow. Household. 1964. Performance art- living sculpture that uses the human body to express and idea
Marina Abramovíc and Ulay. Imponderabilia. 1977.
Marina Abramovíc. The House with the Ocean View Nov. 22 9:54 AM. 2002.
For Next Week: 2-D Design Project, Due: Friday, March 9th Materials: - A section of posterboard, mattboard, davyboard, or foam-core board that is approximately 12 x 8 - Scissors - White glue or glue stick - Periodicals that you don t mind destroying Personal Narrative Collage You will play the role of the artist documenting his/her time, place, and events. Using clippings from various periodicals (the medium), you will construct a collage that conveys a narrative. The subject will be an event from your life, it can be recent or from the past. Tell the viewer your story by summarizing the key symbols, players, surroundings, and actions that make up the event. You may only use material from periodicals glued onto the board. No text is allowed. You must tell the story using the language of art (Elements of Art and Principles of Design). Your composition must include the following: A focal point Visual balance At least 5 elements of art Unity in its construction (the way in which the medium is cut and applied) At least 1 vanishing point 200 points total