Ch 3: Sculpture

how do sculptures simulate the senses

-touch -temperature and age -dynamics -size -light and eviornment

welding and forging

1. artist makes pattern by drawing on the metal 2. metal sheet cut using torch edges smoothed using a metal wheel grinder 3. final assembly in welder, joining the metal by melting the pieces where they connect and adding a filler metal across the seam

process of making a wood sculpture

1. design transferred to wood 2. material removed 3. sanded then stained, oiled, painted, or waxed wood is used because it is readily availiable and varies in hardness, grain and color wood's natural form may influence the shape of the work or it can be manipulated to create simple/complex shapes the grain of wood determines tools used, they include: knives, saws, axes, hatchets, gouges, chisels, planes, rasps, files and sandpaper as well as power tools

bronze casting

1. metal liquified in crucible inside gas furnace 2. metal poured from crucible to mold 3. when the metal is hard, the mold is broken to reveal the art (waste mold casting) 4. after freeing sculpture from mold it must be cleaned and the marks from the mold cuts are smoothed (chasing) 5. after the sculpture is cleaned the artist may add a chemical that changes its color

process of making a stone sculpture

1. sketch design 2. make three dimesional outline on stone block 3. clay model is made with the sculpting coordinates marked on stone, used as a reference for where the stone needs to be removed 4. pieces of stone are chisled, sawn, or hammered away to leave a 3d rough outlie of form 5. the scuplture is smoothed using rasps and polished and sanded 6. wax may be applied or texture tools used to create a smooth or rough surface

methods of execution

1. subtraction 2. addition (construction) 3. subsitution 4. manipulation

sculpture

a 3d art form that may take the form of whatever it seeks to represent

substitution

any material that can be transformed from a plastic, molten, or fluid state into a solid state can be molded or cast into a sculpture

manipulation

artists shape pliable materials into art such as clay or plaster using their hands

other elements

focal area found-artists make take objects they foundd from all over and put them together to create a work sculptures can be ephemral or made by nature they can be interactive

dimensionality in sculpture

full round- works that explore full 3d and intend viewing from any angle in relief- sculpture is attached to a background and thus retains a 2d quality linear- constructed with tin elongated objects such as wire or neon tubing

tools used for stone sculptures

hammers and chisels are used for smoothing, scraping, and removing llarge pieces of stone, most removal is done using a point safety equipment- ear plugs, goggles, leather gloves, dust masks, steel toed boots

compositional elements of sculptures

mass- sculptures are 3d and take up mass and have density, the mass consists of actual volume and density, rather than being relative to other objects line and form- the forms of the scupture draws interest, the elements of the scuplture direct eye from one point to another some sculptures have openings aka negative space color-materils can be chosen because of its color or painted, provides vibrancy and life, nature can provide color through weathering texture- tangible characteristics of sculptures

casting

method first used by ancient mesopotamia by pouring molten bronze into liquid metal gold, iron, and copper can also be used

principle of design

proportion-relative relationships of shapes to one another, may indicate a particular time period because proportions have changed throughout time repitition-the elements of rythm harmony and variation are more subtle in sculpture

casting process

scale model called a positive is first created 1. model or form created using wax, foam, clay, or wood 2. structure built around form to create mold that is filled with resin based sand (negative) 3. after mold hardens, the pieces are dissambled and the original form is removed, leaving a hollow space in the mold 4. the resin sand may then be carved to form channels that allow the molten metal to flow into the mold 5. vents cut in the top of the mold release gas and once the metal has solidfied the mold is removed to reveal the original form

subtractive sculpture

sculptor begins with a large block and cuts away unwanted material, annd once the material is carved it cant be replaced

constructive (additive) sculpture

start with raw material and add elements until the work is complete matrials used with this method include plastics aluminum, steel, terracotta,, epoxy resin or wood

cupola furnace

steel cylinder lined with insulation. iron is added through an opening in the top, with a tap hole at the bottom. the top is closed with a plug called a bot that is removed after 10-20 mins to let the iron onto the ladle which adds the irron to the molds

lost wax method

the basic mold uses a wax model which is then melted to leave the desired spaces in the mold after hardening, the mold is baked upside down in a kiln at 360 F to melt wax and leave cavity when molds are complete they are ready for the pour where a large number of works are cast from molds

sculpture materials

the earliest material used was stone but there are many other materials marble- hard stone that can be polished to show luminescent qualities granite- hard stone that requires sepecial tools to sculpt limestone, alibaster, soapstone- soft and easy to carve three types of rock 1. igneous- hard and potentially long llasting, difficult to carve 2. sedimentary rock= long lasting and easy to carve, polishable 3. metamorphic rock- ideal, long lasting, easy to carve, and a wide range of colors

articulation

the manner in which we move from one element of a sculpture to the next

how was the statue of liberty made?

using welded steel and a copper skin that was hammered into shape, making it easy to ship and reassemble