Sculpture

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SCULPTURE

Early Forms of
Sculpture
Sculpture has been used as a form
of human expression since
prehistoric times. The earliest
known works of sculpture date from
around 32,000 B.C. Early man
created utilitarian objects that were
decorated with sculptural forms.
Ancient peoples also created small
animal and human figures carved in
bone, ivory, or stone for possible
spiritual or religious purposes.
Traditions of carving and casting emerged from the

ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. The cultures

of Egypt and Mesopotamia often created sculptures on

a monumental scale. These sculptures related to

religious life or functioned as a lasting memorial to the

power of rulers. In ancient Greece and Rome, the

human form was the dominant subject in sculpture,

and the artists of classical Greece achieved a high

degree of naturalism in sculpting the human form.

From the rigid archaic male figures, known as kouroi,

of the sixth century B.C. to the naturalism of Classical

Greece and Rome, the human form was considered the

most respected subject matter for art.


The Human Form and Its
Sculptural Evolution
Neoclassical Sculpture
•In the 18th century, the discovery of and interest in ancient archaeological
sites, such as Herculaneum and Pompeii, sparked a renewed interest in the
arts of ancient Greece and Rome. Neoclassicism came from a desire to imbue
the visual arts with greater seriousness and moral commitment—virtues
thought to exemplify ancient ideals.

White marble, which evoked ancient sculpture, became the preferred material
of the Neoclassical sculptor. In the 18th century there was a widely held,
though erroneous, belief that people living in ancient times preferred this
aesthetically pure material for their sculptural works. In fact, Classical
marble sculpture was typically covered in brightly hued paint, which, due to
weathering, had largely disappeared from the excavated works. Bronze was
also often used in ancient times for large-scale sculpture. While a few
examples of Classical bronze sculptures were known in the 18th century, the
great majority of ancient works in this medium had been melted down for
more practical applications after the fall of Rome. Most of the sculptures
entering the great collections of Europe were marble; therefore, people living
in the 18th century primarily associated marble with the ancient world.
Modern and Contemporary
Sculpture

In the latter half of the 19th century and


the early-20th century, a movement
called Modernism departed from the
Neoclassical style. At this time, sculptors
showed less interest in naturalism and
paid more attention to stylization, form,
and contrasting qualities of the surface
of the material, as seen here in Head
with Horns, seen here. Artists paid
greater attention to psychological realism
than to physical realism. Later, artists'
interest in the psychological resulted in
more abstractedly stylized sculpture (as
in the work of Henry Moore and Alberto
Giacometti).
Common Used In
Sculpture Techniques
SCULPTING
This is one of the sculpture techniques
that is most familiar to everyone,
including those who are fairly unfamiliar
with this art form. This technique
involves working from a solid block,
chipping away pieces until the sculptor
achieves the shape that they had in
mind. Throughout history the most
commonly used materials were marble in
Italy, alabaster stone in Germany,
England and Spain, and limestone
throughout Europe.

For this technique, artists use roughing


tools to create deep and uneven grooves,
or flat chisels as finishing tools, on
surfaces such as limestone, sandstone or
marble.
CARVING
Carving is a technique that is used primarily for working
with marble and wood. It is a process that involves removing
material by wearing it away and smoothing it, working from
the outside in.

When carving with wood, the artist will need to consider


the type of wood they are using, as this is very important.
Cedar or pine wood are softer and easier to carve than oak
or walnut, for example. However, these harder woods are
more durable and allow the artist to create more intricate
detail. Precisely for this reason, in-depth knowledge
regarding materials and techniques is always highly
important for a sculptor..
MODELLING
Modelling, as the name suggests, is a
technique that involves giving shape to a soft
and pliable material, using a mould. One of the
materials that is most commonly used for this
kind of technique is clay, although there are
others. Clay is a very cheap material, easy to
get hold of and is also very easy to mould. One
of the benefits of this technique is that you can
make several copies of a sculpture.

Surely most of you, if not all of you, will be


familiar with the famous waxwork museums.
Well, the celebrities portrayed in these
museums are produced with this same
technique, using wax. If they are done well,
they can even look real from a certain distance.
Incredible, right?
CASTING
Similar to modelling, this technique also
requires the use of a mould. The main
difference with casting is that the resulting
sculptures are generally made from
combinations of metals. Bronze, for example,
is an alloy of tin and copper, and is commonly
used in sculptures as it is strong and durable.
In fact, in the Middle Ages it was commonly
used for producing weapons, tools and other
sculptures.
POLISHING
Polishing is a technique used by artists
who want to improve the final finish of a
sculpture that they've created, by
improving its visual appearance and
texture. It involves performing a
mechanical operation on the surface of the
material. The polishing technique for wood
is also known as sanding and may be
done using a sander, or by hand. For
other materials, such as copper, silver or
gold, polishing is usually done purely for
decorative reasons, in order to make them
more shiny or clean, or to improve their
texture as previously mentioned.
What Are the Materials Used in
Sculpture?
Stone
• Stone is a very challenging sculpting material,
one false stroke of the hammer on the chisel
and the entire statue is left permanently
marred or even ruined. Given the cost of
working stone and its unforgiving nature, most
people will take a class at a local art college
before attempting their first major stone work.
On a positive note, stone is famous for its
ability to endure the ages; high quality stone
sculptures can command impressive prices.
Metal Sculpting
The most famous metal for sculpting is bronze, which is most
often cast using the wax replacement method. Wax
replacement in its simplest form uses a sand mold over a
carved wax sculpture, complete in its own right. The molten
bronze is poured into the mold, causing the heat of the metal to
melt the wax, which runs out of an escape channel. The sand
cast sculpture is then cooled, cleaned and polished or given a
patina. There is an entire sub-art of giving bronze the perfect
patina. Different combination of chemical treatments result in
different color shades, which can drastically alter the mood of a
work of art, creating the patina. A patina can also be created by
natural aging.
Clay
Clay is a long standing favorite of sculptors,
since it can be worked using either a
reductive method in a fashion similar to
carving, or built up using an additive
method, where separate pieces are bonded
before firing the item in a kiln to fix the final
shape. Sculptors often also use unfired clay
to make working models to consult while
carving larger items.
Glass
Glass is a popular sculpting material for those with the
proper training. Unfortunately, glass has rather high-end
shop facility requirements, making it somewhat inaccessible
outside of art colleges and professional studios. Organic
materials like wood are popular as base materials for folk art
applications, which isn't to say that hardwoods can't be used
for making high class sculptures as well. Wood is ideal for
use with lacquers, making it extremely versatile in the variety
of effects it can convey. Ice sculpting is an often unsung
sculpting material due to its ephemeral nature; however, it is
very beautiful in the correct application and plays a major
role in the annual Quebec City Winter Carnival in Canada,
as well as the the Ice Hotel located in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
Kinds of Sculpture
Relief
Sculpture
Relief sculpture is a type of sculpture that is connected
on one side to the background material. Relief sculpture is
in opposition to sculpture in the round, which is a
sculpture that is completely separate from any
background. Relief sculpture is known for blending both
2D and 3D art. Because it is connected to the background,
relief sculpture is often viewed from one perspective, like
paintings. However, it is a form of sculpture because
subjects are sculpted and provide a textural component to
the work.

Relief sculptures are divided into two main categories,


high relief sculpture and low relief sculpture. High relief
sculpture refers to relief sculpture that is carved deeper
into the surface material, whereas low relief sculpture
does not carve as deep into the material. In ancient
cultures, such as in ancient Egypt, Asia, Greece, and Rome,
relief sculpture was used commonly to illustrate stories on
the sides of temples and buildings. Today, relief sculpture
is varied and includes many masterful works.
Additive Sculpture

Additive sculpture refers to a sculptural method that


includes the addition of materials to build up a structure
and design. Additive sculpture includes methods such as
modeling and casting techniques. Modeling refers to a
soft material being built up to create a design and
includes the use of clay or papier mâché. Using clay
often requires the adding of pieces of clay onto a
structure and onto other layers of clay that are built up
to create a finished design. Papier mâché works very
similar to clay sculpting, where layers of paper and glue
or plaster are applied to a frame or other layers of paper.
Another type of additive sculpture is known as
readymade or found object sculpture. Marcel Duchamp
is known for inventing the concept of readymade.
Subtractive Sculpture

Subtractive sculpture is defined as a method


of sculpture that requires the removal of
material. Subtractive sculpture methods
include primarily carving, but can include
modeling as well, as clay or other soft
materials are sometimes removed in the
process of sculpting. Carving methods use
tools such as chisels, knives, gouges, and
hammers to remove material to reveal a
design. Materials used in carving techniques
include primarily wood and stone, as both
substances are soft enough to be shaped but
hard enough to hold their shape when carved.
Famous Filipino
Sculpture
The Black Nazarene
• -The Black Nazarene; Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno;
Mahal na Itim na Nazareno; Our Father Jesus [the]
Nazarene
• -a life-sized
• -dark wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ carrying the
cross.-Originally with fair complexion, it turned dark
after it survived a burning ship on its arrival from
Mexico.
• -currently in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in
Quiapo district, Manila, Philippines.
• There are also three annual processions associated with
this icon, most notably on January 9, celebrating its
transfer (Spanish: Translación) and enshrinement in the
present Basilica, and is attended by several million
devotees.
• -The statue's original Mexican sculptor is unknown but
the image arrived in Manila via a galleon ship from
Acapulco, Mexico. Folk tradition attributes the dark color
of the statue to a fire on the ship carrying it, charring the
white image to its present dark complexion.
The People Power Monument

• The People Power Monument is a


sculpture of towering people
commemorating the People Power
Revolution of 1986 located on the
corner of Epifanio de los Santos
Avenue or EDSA and White Plains
Avenue in Quezon City.[1] It was
made by Eduardo Castrillo in 1993.
It is about 0.89 kilometers from the
EDSA Shrine, another monument
built to commemorate the event.
The Oblation
• The Oblation is a sculpture and the iconic symbol of the
University of the Philippines -
• - a "completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched
arms and open hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted
lips murmuring a prayer, with breast forward in the act of
offering himself",
• Commissioned on 1935 by Guilermo Tolentino
• It symbolizes selfless offering of one's self to his country.
• The bronze-colored concrete sculpture is 3.5 meters in height
• A leaf called siempreviva (always living) and locally known as
kataka-taka (literally means "startling") covers the oblation's
genitals. Kataka-taka has a characteristic of starting shoots
from its very leaf. The sculptor, said that the leaf symbolizes
"the deep-rooted patriotism in the heart of our heroes".
• The rocky base represents the rugged Philippine archipelago.
Tomas Morato
• was designed by the late Florante Caedo, the
famed Filipino sculptor.
• The memorial was put up at the end of Quezon
City’s Tomas Morato Street, which also crosses
Timog Avenue.
• This circular monuments has 24 statues bearing
the likenesses of the 24 delegates.
• The memorial, which used to be just a round
monolith, was renovated last 2008 under the
auspices of former Quezon City Mayor Feliciano
Belmonte. An obelisk now stands above the old
monument, topped by a statue of Tomas Morato,
the first mayor of Quezon City.

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