Freestanding Sculptures and Techniques

Freestanding Sculptures

  • Freestanding sculpture: Stands on its own, surrounded by space, viewable from all sides.
  • Example: Michelangelo's Pieta.
    • Dynamic interactions via light and shadow.

Objectives

  • Describe sculpture in the round.
  • Discuss techniques for creating freestanding sculptures.
  • Examine materials used in freestanding sculptures.

Key Terms

  • Sculpture in the round
  • Casting
  • Carving
  • Assembling
  • Modeling
  • Lost wax

Sculpture in the Round

  • Designed to be viewed from different angles.
  • Requires walking around, viewing from above, below, and sides.
  • Example: Michelangelo's David.
  • Staging: Overlapping forms and silhouette from a certain angle.
    • Artist must ensure staging is interesting from all angles.
  • Contrapposto: Figure standing on one foot with turned shoulders and head (e.g., David).

Techniques for Creating Freestanding Sculptures

  • Casting
  • Carving
  • Modeling
  • Assembling
  • Technique depends on the material the artist wants to use. For example, the artist has to choose a different method if they want to create a metal sculpture versus if they were using limestone.

Casting

  • Creating a mold and filling it with molten metal.
  • Lost wax method (for bronze sculptures):
    • Clay base with basic shape.
    • Details sculpted in wax over the clay.
    • Mold created around the wax.
    • Wax melted out, replaced with bronze.
    • Mold chipped away, leaving a hollow bronze sculpture.

Carving

  • Chipping away material to create a finished result.
  • Materials: Stone, ivory, wood.
  • Produces interesting shadows.

Modeling

  • Forming a pliable material by hand.
  • Easiest and least expensive technique.
  • Example: Terracotta figure of a Maya ball player.
  • Artist shapes the clay and then fires or bakes the clay into a hardened finished shape.

Assemblage

  • Assembling different components into a finished piece.
  • Combines various materials.
  • Materials includes anything the artist can find to use including materials the artist made themselves.
  • Example: De Buenere Apache by John Chamberlain.

Materials

  • Cast bronze (lost wax method)
  • Marble (carved)
  • Clay/Terracotta (sculpted, fired)
  • Fiberglass
  • Soapstone
  • Aluminum
  • DuraStone

Review

  • Sculpture in the round: Viewable from all angles.
  • Techniques: Casting, carving, modeling, assemblage.

Examples

  • Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Umberto Boccioni: Communicates forms, movement, and dynamic shapes. It is an abstract sculpture.

Definitions

  • Sculpture in the Round: Three-dimensional art meant to be seen from all sides.
  • Casting: Substitution process where wax is replaced with a durable material like bronze. Types of mold castings include sand, plastic, shell, plaster, and lost wax.
  • Carving: Using tools to cut or chip solid material. Artists can carve wood, stone, ice, ivory, or rock.
  • Assembling: Additive process of constructing work by attaching objects. Uses a variety of materials, including discarded items.
  • Modeling: Forming a pliable medium with hands or tools. Clay is an excellent medium.
  • Lost Wax: Technique for casting where wax is carved, a mold is made, and the wax is melted out, leaving an impression. Used for metal.