Sculpture Overview

Sculpture: Definition and Overview

  • Sculpture is the art of:
      - Carving
      - Casting
      - Modeling
      - Assembling materials into three-dimensional figures.

  • Sculpture differs from architecture:
      - Architecture serves utilitarian purposes.
      - Sculpture need not serve any practical purpose.

Types of Sculptures

Relief Sculptures

  • Relief sculptures are three-dimensional forms raised from a flat background.
      - Low relief (bas relief):
        - Forms project only slightly from the background.
      - High relief:
        - Figures project by at least half their natural depth.

Freestanding Sculptures

  • Freestanding sculptures have fronts, sides, backs, and tops.

  • The spaces or voids in or around the work may hold as much meaning as the sculpted forms themselves.

Processes of Sculpture

Subtractive and Additive Processes

  • Subtractive process:
      - Unwanted material is removed.
      - Example: Carving.

  • Additive process:
      - Material is added, assembled, or built up to achieve its final form.
      - Examples:
        - Modeling
        - Casting
        - Construction
        - Assemblage.

Carving

  • In carving, the sculptor begins with a block of material and cuts portions away until the desired form is created.

  • The sculptor must have a clear conception of the final product at the outset.

Modeling

  • In modeling, a pliable material (e.g., clay or wax) is shaped into a three-dimensional form.

  • The artist may manipulate the material by hand or use a variety of tools.

Casting in Sculpture

Definition

  • In the casting process, a liquid material is poured into a mold and hardens into the shape of the mold, which is then removed.

Materials Used in Casting

  • Original models can be made from:
      - Wax
      - Clay
      - Styrofoam

    • Bronze

  • The mold is akin to a photographic negative in that it carries the reversed impressions of the model's exterior but pertains to form, not color and light.

Casting Techniques
Lost Wax Casting

  • The bronze casting typically occurs through the lost wax technique:
      - An original model is made, and a mold is created from it (usually out of sectioned plaster or flexible gelatin).
      - Molten wax is then applied to the inner mold surface to create a wax shell.

  • Once hardened, wax is removed, leaving a hollow wax replica.

  • Wax rods, called gates, are reconnecting to this hollow wax model.
      - A sandy mixture of silica, clay, and plaster is placed around the wax model, forming a fire-resistant mold known as investiture.
      - This process involves two models and two molds.

Lost Wax Casting Process Steps

  1. The investiture is turned over and placed in a kiln.

  2. Heating the investiture melts the wax, lost through the gates.

  3. Once wax is lost, the hot investiture is again turned over, and molten bronze is poured in.

  4. As the bronze flows in, air escapes through the gates. No air pockets are allowed to remain inside.

  5. After cooling, the investiture and core are removed, leaving a bronze sculpture.

  6. Projections (from the gates) are trimmed and the surface is finished through burnishing or chemical treatment for desired texture and color.

Example of Lost Wax Casting

  • “Lost Wax-Model of apple in plaster”
      - Artist: José-Manuel Benito

    Sculpture

casting can involve various materials and techniques, particularly when creating human models. Plaster is a common material used for making molds due to its ability to capture fine details. Here are key points regarding plaster and other materials in sculpture casting:

  • Plaster and Plaster Bandages
       - Used for creating strong, lightweight molds.
       - Can be layered to build a robust support structure for more intricate designs.

  • Gel-trate
       - This is a substance similar to material used by dentists to create a cast of your mouth.
       - It provides a flexible and detail-oriented approach for capturing the contours of human shapes.

Casting human models typically involves careful preparation to ensure accuracy and detail, making plaster and similar materials essential for successful replication.

Materials Used in Sculpture

Stone

  • Characteristics:
      - Extremely hard and durable.
      - Can be carved, scraped, drilled, and polished.

  • Historical Preference:
      - Granite favored by ancient Egyptians (though hard to detail).
      - Greeks favored white marble for its detail capability.
        - They would paint it, utilizing durability over color.

  • Common Tools:
      - Chisel
      - Mallet
      - Rasp
      - Power tools (for modern usage).

  • Example Sculpture:
      - “Black Snake” by William E. Nutt
        - Material: Marble and limestone.

Wood

  • Characteristics:
      - Can be carved, scraped, drilled, and polished, but also molded and bent permanently.
      - Plywood can be heated to bend into shapes.

  • Comparison with Stone:
      - Easier to carve; less durable.
      - Subject to warping, cracking, and insect damage.

  • Advantages:
      - Appealing grain, color, and workability.
      - Wood’s tensile strength exceeds stone, making it less likely to break off.

  • Example Sculptures:
      - “Hanging Dress” by Murano
        - Material: Hand-carved from a single piece of birch wood.
      - “Driftwood Horse” by PJ Lighthouse
        - Creates using additive assemblage process.

Clay

  • Pliable material, allowing for easy modeling:
      - Artist's fingerprints can be seen in the final piece.

  • Weakness:
      - Has little strength, often used for sketches or models for more durable sculptures.

  • In ceramics:
      - Can be fired at high temperatures, becoming hard and non-porous.
      - Can be coated or glazed for a glossy surface.

  • Example Sculpture:
      - “The Walking Man” by Auguste Rodin
        - Originally modeled in clay, showcasing Rodin's fingerprints.

Metal

  • Historical use:
      - Metals have been utilized as a sculptural element for thousands of years.

  • Processing Techniques:
      - Metals can be cast, extruded, forged, stamped, drilled, filed, and burnished.
      - Assemblies created through welding, riveting, soldering, and adhesives.

  • Properties:
      - Various metals display different properties (e.g., bronze colors change when treated with chemicals; oxidation affects colors of metals).

  • Example Sculpture:
      - “Tang Dynasty Iron Horse” (circa 700 A.D.)
        - Foundry cast iron on a marble base.

Types of Constructed Sculpture

Constructed Sculpture

  • Defined as sculptures constructed from materials like:
      - Cardboard
      - Celluloid
      - Translucent plastic
      - Sheet metal
      - Wire
      - Resin

Assemblage

  • A form of constructed sculpture that integrates recognizable found objects into new, meaningful combinations.
      - Example: “Wren” using found metal objects (watches, silverware, etc.) formed by Joe Pogan.

Ready-Mades

  • Objects presented without additional assembly; the art lies in the context and placement on a pedestal.
      - Example: Duchamp’s “Fountain.”

Mixed Media

  • Incorporates found objects and materials not typically used in artworks.
      - Example: Simon Rodia Towers in Watts (Watts Towers).
        - Constructed using tile, glass, broken dishes, and cement on steel frames.

Kinetic and Light Sculptures

Kinetic Sculpture

  • Defined as sculptures that physically move, as opposed to creating the illusion of movement.

  • Movements can be generated by various factors:
      - Wind
      - Magnetic fields
      - Jets of water
      - Electric motors
      - Variations in light intensity
      - Viewer manipulation

Light Sculpture

  • Involves the integration of artificial light to create varying effects.
      - Example: “Tribute In Light” by David Dunlap.
        - Two groups of 44 searchlights illuminating the NYC skyline for six months in 2002, after the events of September 11, 2001.

Site-Specific and Land Art

Site-Specific Works

  • Distinguishing features:
      - Produced for a specific location and inextricably linked to the setting.

Land Art

  • Defined as site-specific works created in natural environments.
      - Earthworks: Historical forms include sand paintings, Stonehenge, Zen rock gardens, etc.
      - Contemporary versions began in the 1960s, focusing on a literal return to nature.
      - Example: Smithson’s Spiral Jetty.
        - Large enough to be visible from airplanes.

Ephemeral Art

  • Defined as art with a temporal immediacy, often built with the knowledge it will disintegrate.

  • Examples include:
      - Crop circles.
      - Temporary installations in nature.

Public Art and Monuments

Public Art

  • Created for public spaces.
      - Example: Queen Califia’s Magical Circle Garden by Niki de Saint Phalle, built in Kit Carson Park.

Monuments

  • Purpose: To preserve the memory of a person or event.
      - Example: “Vietnam Memorial” by Maya Lin, crafted from polished black granite, an example of stone sculpture.