Sculpture

• Sculpture is one of the major forms of visual art and involves the creation of three-dimensional forms.
• The process typically includes techniques such as carving, modelling, welding, casting, and assembling.
• Carving involves the removal of material to create a sculpture (subtractive technique), mostly used with materials such as wood and stone.
• Modelling, on the other hand, is an additive process where materials like clay, wax or plaster are manipulated and shaped.
• Casting is a replication technique where a mould of an original piece is filled with materials like bronze, resin or plaster to create a sculpture.
• Assembling involves putting together various different materials, often found objects, to create a sculpture.
• Welding, a technique often used in metal sculpture, fuses pieces together with heat.
• Sculptures can be freestanding (viewable from all angles and also known as ‘in the round’) or relief (attached to a background and viewable from one side only).
• Scale can vary dramatically in sculpture, from minuscule figurines to monumental public installations.
• Texture, form, space, and composition are vital elements of sculpture.
• Historical styles of sculpture offer rich sources of inspiration and contextual understanding, from Ancient Greek marble statues, through Renaissance bronze casting, to modern and contemporary abstract, kinetic and conceptual approaches.
• The context in which a sculpture is displayed can critically influence how it is viewed and understood. This includes the environmental, social, political and cultural dimensions.
• Sculpture often engages directly with physical and social space and interacts with viewers in ways that two-dimensional art forms typically do not.
• Some key sculptors to research and learn about include Michelangelo, Rodin, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Bourgeois and Anish Kapoor. Examining their techniques, styles, and themes can offer valuable insights and inspiration.