ART 111 Week 11
Fiber
-Fibers are threads made from animal or vegetable materials (fur, wool, silk, cotton, flax, or linen) or synthetic materials (nylon, polyester) -Can be spun into yarn, string, or thread, then woven or knitted into textiles
Approaches to three dimensions in sculpture
-Sculpture can be freestanding: sculpture in the round -Relief is a type of sculpture specifically designed for viewing from one side -The image in a relief either protrudes from or is sunk into a surface
low/bas relief
Almost like a carving. The sculpture does not extend very far off of the surface. In bas-relief (bas means "low" in French) the sculptor's marks are shallow
assemblage
An additive sculptural process in which various and diverse elements and objects are combined. §The practice of gathering objects and fabricating them into a work of art §The gathered objects (called found objects) are repurposed so that they support the visual ideas of the artist
Match the artwork with its medium: Benvenuto Cellini, Salt Cellar of Francis I Faith Ringgold, Tar Beach The Portland Vase Peter Voulkos, Gallas Rock Captain Richard Carpenter (Du'klwayella), Bent-corner chest a. metal b. ceramic c. glass d. wood e. fiber
Benvenuto Cellini, Salt Cellar of Francis I a. metal Faith Ringgold, Tar Beach e. fiber The Portland Vase c. glass Peter Voulkos, Gallas Rock b. ceramic Captain Richard Carpenter (Du'klwayella), Bent-corner chest d. wood
construction
Constructed sculptures use a variety of methods to create and put together their components
An artist cannot turn a trash can into a readymade artwork.
False
The significance of the figures on the sumptuous gold Salt Cellar of Francis I has nothing to do with the function of the object.
False
high relief
Figures extend by at least half their natural depth. When a sculptor chooses to carve more deeply, he or she is working in high relief
What does installation art involve
Installation art involves the construction of a space or the assembly of objects to create an environment; we are encouraged to experience the work physically using all our senses, perhaps entering the work itself
Our word ceramic comes from this Greek word.
Keramos
This artist took a urinal, turned it on its side, made some other slight alterations, and presented it as an art object titled Fountain.
Marcel Duchamp
Glass was probably first used by this ancient culture.
Mesopotamia
Michelangelo, Prisoner (artwork)
Michelangelo believed that he was rescuing a prisoner in the stone each time he carved in marble. This piece showcases his outlook as the figure appears to struggle to escape from stone, and only half of it is carved.
Buonarroti, separation of Light and Darkness (artwork)
Michelangelo's painting reflected the sorts of figures he sculpted in stone. His paintings reflect very muscular people just as his stone sculptures do.
Great Serpent Mound (artwork)
Prehistoric artists of the Americas made monumental sculptures that used the surface of the Earth itself as material: this was additive sculpture on a very large scale §Prehistoric artists heaped piles of earth to "sculpt" this work onto the Ohio landscape §Resembles a snake with its mouth open, ingesting an egg §Position and alignment suggest that it was used in making solar observations
This American artist created a large earthwork titled Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake in Utah in 1969-70.
Robert Smithson
casting
The process of making sculpture by pouring molten material-often bronze-into a mold bearing the sculpture's impression. §Involves adding a liquid or pliable material to a mold §First, a model of the final sculpture is made; this is used to make a mold into which a casting liquid is poured §When it hardens, the result is a detailed replica of the original model
modeling
The shaping of a form in some plastic material, such as clay or plaster. §Additive process; the artist builds up the work by adding material §Some materials, such as clay or wax, require a temporary skeletal structure for support, called an armature §When clay is dried and fired in a kiln, it becomes very hard and durable
True or False: Many contemporary artists believe that earthworks should represent a harmony between nature and humanity
True
Marcel Duchamp, "The Creative Act"
What I have in mind is that art may be bad, good or indifferent, but, whatever adjective is used, we must call it art, and bad art is still art in the same way that a bad emotion is still an emotion.
high relief
a carved panel where the figures project with a great deal of depth from the background
plane
a flat, two-dimension surface on which an artist can create a drawing or painting. Planes can also be implied in a composition by areas that face toward, parallel to, or away from a light source
in the round
a freestanding sculpted work that can be viewed from all sides
in the round
a freestanding sculptured work that can be viewed from all sides
A sculpture intended by the artist to move is called ________ sculpture.
a kinetic
Renaissance
a period of cultural and artistic change in Europe from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century
relief
a raised form on a largely flat background. For example, the design on a coin is "in relief"
subtractive sculpting
a sculptor uses a tool to carve, drill, chisel, chip, whittle, or saw away unwanted material
bas-relief (low relief)
a sculpture carved with very little depth: the carved subjects rise only slightly above the surface of the work
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, by Damien Hirst, is an example of the broad range of materials that can be used in a work of art. It presents a ________ suspended in a tank of formaldehyde.
a shark
A piece of thrown pottery is created using this potter's tool.
a wheel
Readymades
an everyday object presented as a work of art. §Pioneered by Marcel Duchamp as a way of challenging traditional ideas §He argued that when chosen and presented by an artist, any found object can become a work of art
The sculptural process in which the artist carves only in shallow depth is called ________.
bas-relief
Which of these is not an additive process of sculpting?
chiseling
Sculptures created using this method often require the movement of large amounts of soil from one location to another.
earthworks
The metalworking process called repoussé, used to create the death mask from Mycenae, involves which kind of craftsmanship?
hammering
three-dimensional
having height, width, and depth
Another name for freestanding sculpture is ________.
in the round
The name of this bronze-casting process relies on a modeled original form made from a pliable material. This method is known as ________.
lost-wax casting
The coins we use as money usually have a sculptural design in what form?
low relief
Sculptures fall into three categories
low/bas relief high relief freestanding sculptures
additive sculpture
processes of modeling, casting, or constructing add material to make the final artwork
Michelangelo believed ________ to be the finest and most challenging of all the visual arts.
sculpture
freestanding sculptures
sculpture in the round. It is possible to walk around and see it from all directions. An approach to sculpture that invites us to examine a work on all sides is known as freestanding, or sculpture in the round
Clay that has a great deal of water mixed into it, making it very thin, is known as ________.
slip
Which of the following is not a method of carving?
spooning
This process, which involves carving away material from a surface where it cannot be reapplied, was used to sculpt the Olmec Colossal Head.
subtractive
As a concept, the division between art and craft began during this period.
the Renaissance in Italy
appropriation
the deliberate incorporation in an artwork of material originally created by other artists. the object is altered in a way that changes its original meaning or purpose
background
the part of a work depicted furthest from the viewer's space, often behind the main subject matter
All sculptures have this characteristic in common:
they exist in three-dimensional space
What is one of the main reasons that the creation of the Olmec colossal heads is so impressive?
they were created without metal tools
Which of these materials can be used to create a sculpture?
wax, stone, plastic, and ice
Making a ceramic object...
§A ceramist chooses a type of clay §The clay is kneaded to work out pockets of air, called wedging §Next, the clay is shaped by hand or by throwing on a potter's wheel §It is left to dry and fired in a kiln §Finally, a slip or glaze is applied
Riace Warrior A (artwork)
§A fine example of the lost-wax method of casting in bronze (copper and tin) §Discovered in 1972 by scuba divers off the coast at Riace, Italy §Made when the Greeks emphasized the perfection of the human body §Posed in relaxed contrapposto
Hyo-In Kim, To Be Modern #2 (artwork)
§A hanbok is a traditional Korean dress worn by women of upper classes §Kim has subtly transformed the materials of the dress and its display §Wants us to see that traditional cultural values are fading away
Hirst, the Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) (artwork)
§A large tank of formaldehyde holds a suspended dead shark §Hirst is known for creating unusualsculptural objects that contrast life and death
Throwing
§A potter's wheel consists of a round disk that revolves while the ceramist shapes the object §In use by the Chinese since 3000 bce §The process of making pottery on a wheel is known as throwing
Pablo Picasso, Bull's Head (artwork)
§A readymade: Picasso combined the handlebars and the seat of a bicycle §They resemble a bull's head, yet they are also readily recognizable as parts of a bicycle §His intent was both a serious and a humorous attempt to redefine art
Dale Chihuly, Fiori di Como (Artwork)
§American glass artist Dale Chihuly §2,000 individually blown glass flowers §Strong color enlivens and invigorates the reception area at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas
Chalice with Apostles Venerating the Cross (artwork)
§Artist hammered a blunt tool against the back of the image §The opposite side was pushed out to form the images §Technique is called repoussé
pushing beyond traditional methods
§Artists have found other ways to enliven sculpture that go beyond conventional additive and subtractive techniques §Earthworks, construction, assemblage, readymades, kinetic and light sculptures, and installation
George Rickey, Breaking Column (artwork)
§Carefully balanced so that it can pivot in a variety of directions §Provides an infinite number of constantly changing views §Moved by the slightest current of air; also has a motor, and moves even when there is no wind
Slab method
§Clay is rolled into a flat sheet and cut into shapes §The corners of the different shapes are carefully joined §Lends itself to making boxes and other forms that have large flat sides
coil method
§Common since ancient times §A coil is created by rolling the clay on a flat surface so that it extends into a long rope-like shape §The coil is wrapped around itself and then fused together by smoothing
Naum Gabo, Constructed Head No. 2 (artwork)
§Constructivist artist Gabo investigates the sense of space and form implied by flat planes §More interested in showing interior construction than the exterior surface §Welded the intersecting planes of metal together
Benvenuto Cellini, Salt Cellar of Francis I (artwork)
§Created by Italian goldsmith Cellini for the dining-table of the king of France §Complex process where molten gold was poured into a mold §The salt was held next to Neptune (god of the sea) and the pepper next to symbolic Mother Earth
Death mask from Mycenae (artwork)
§Created by laying a thin sheet of gold over an object carved to resemble a human face §The artist then carefully hammered the surface until the shape and texture of the design was imprinted in the metal §Process is called chasing
Portland Vase (artwork)
§Created in the Roman Empire §Made using the dip-overlay method §The blue glass forms the background to the figures in white §Amazing degree of detail
Mary Linwood, detail from Hanging Partridge
§Crewel embroidery: a process that uses free-form, fine wool-thread stitching on a drawn design §Like "painting with thread" §Intricate and slow; artist shows great patience and skill
Wood
§Deteriorates over time, so few ancient examples exist §Trees provide different woods that vary in color and hardness §Innate beauty can be brought out by cutting, carving, sanding, and polishing
Tradition of craft introduction
§During the Renaissance, a distinction came to be made between art and craft §Unique to Western culture §Crafts came to mean items meant to be used rather than simply looked at
Rose window and lancet, Chartres Cathedral (artwork)
§Fine example of Gothic stained glass §Bathed the cathedral in colored light §The brilliant blue color is one of the most extraordinary artistic achievements of the early thirteenth century
dying lioness (artwork)
§Found in the North Palace of King Ashurbanipal in Mesopotamia §Assyrian kings ruled over a large territory and had powerful armies §Artist intended to reflect the great strength and bravery of the king as he hunted and killed the fearsome beast
What are Ceramics
§From the Greek word keramos §Manufacture of a ceramic object requires the shaping of clay, a natural material dug from the earth, which is then baked at high temperatures to make it hard §Basic techniques date back thousands of years
The History of glass
§Glass is produced by melting silica (sand) with lead at intense heat §Probably first used in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt (3500 bce) §Glassblowing was later adopted and perfected by the Romans
Seated Figure (artwork)
§Handcrafted by using the coil method §Buried in the tomb of a Zapotec ruler §May portray a god or possibly a companion for the deceased
Metalwork
§Important in the Bronze and Iron Ages §Metal can be heated to a liquid state and poured into molds §It can also be hammered into shape or bent to fit the needs of the artist
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty (artwork)
§In the 1960s, artists again became interested in earthworks §The spiral is a shape naturally found in shells, crystals, and even galaxies §The artwork is not static - it constantly evolves as it interacts with nature
Moholy-Nagy, Light Prop for an Electric Stage (artwork)
§Initially created as a stage lighting device, it became the main character in a film by the artist §A motor moves a series of perforated discs that cross in front of a light §The changes in lighting influence the surrounding environment
Detail of studiolo, Ducal Palace, Gubbio, Italy
§Intarsia is a kind of mosaic using woods of different colors §Illusion of depth §The duke of Urbino wanted thesymbols to reflect his achievements as a ruler, military commander, collector of books, and patron of the arts
Installations
§Involve the construction of a space or the assembly of objects to create an environment §We are encouraged to experience the work physically using all our senses, perhaps by entering the work itself
Horiuchi MacAdam, Knitted Wonder Space II (artwork)
§Knits large-scale interactive environments, such as a children's playgrounds §Viewers are invited to touch the artwork §Challenges preconceived ideas of what fiber art can be
Captain Richard Carpenter, Bent-corner chest (artwork)
§Native American Heiltsuk tribe §Notches (kerfs) were cut at three corners of a smooth plank of cedar §The wood was made flexible by steam, bent at the kerfs, and joined §After that, the chest was carved and painted with an elaborate design
San Ildefonso- style pottery
§Native American pottery is made using hand-building methods §Family revived the pottery traditions of their ancestors §Famous for their distinctive style §A favorite motif is the avanyu, a water guardian serpent god
figure of the war god Ku-ka'ili-moku (artwork)
§Nearly nine-foot-tall figure of the Hawaiian war god Ku-ka'ili-moku §Carved from larger pieces of wood §A second god is symbolized in the hair §Created for the powerful King Kamehameha I to represent his conquests of adjacent kingdoms
Betye Saar, The Liberation of Aunt Jemina (artwork)
§Saar collected a variety of found objects, such as cotton, syrup labels, and a stereotypical "Mammy" doll §Explores themes of identity: her art examines the survival of African traditions in black culture §Challenges stereotypes
kinetic and light sculptures
§Sculpture that moves is called kinetic sculpture §These moving and lighted works rely on mechanical engineering as well as the creative input of the artist
Sculptures introduction
§Sculptures can be made from many materials: e.g. glass, wax, ice, plastic, neon lights, animals §Sculptures exist in three dimensions and occupy physical space §We can walk around them or become immersed in an environment
earthworks
§Sculptures that use the Earth itself as a material. §Generally, there is some sort of reshaping of the earth taking place. §The work is also site specific. § §Ex: a bust sculpted out of clay is made from the earth, but is generally not site specific. This makes it not an earthwork.
Peter Voulkos, Gallas Rock (artwork)
§Slab construction is evident in the flat planes §Organic and Expressionistic §Voulkos is known for using clay's naturalness-its tendency to take on organic forms-and plasticity
Faith Ringgold, Tar Beach (artwork)
§Tells the story of a girl named Cassie §Ringgold relates the African-American experience through memories of her own childhood in New York
Porcelain Flask (artwork)
§The Chinese invented porcelain §Produced on a potter's wheel during the Ming Dynasty almost 600 years ago §Multiple glaze layers: first, a blue glaze and then a clear one to provide a luxurious glossy finish
sculptures in stone and clay
§The Olmecs were skilled in stone carving and creating ceramic sculptures §Produced small- and large-scale sculptures §Additive and subtractive works
carving
§The most ancient works of art that still exist were made using subtractive methods §Most were made of stone or ivory §Worked by chipping, carving, sanding, and polishing
Andrew Early, turned bowl (artwork)
§Turning is the fashioning of a wooden object using a lathe (a power-driven spinning support) §Wood is prepared by seasoning (careful aging and drying) §Early leaves irregularities to preserve the innate "personality" of the wood
Michelangelo, Tomb of Julius II (artwork)
§Unique mastery; freeing the figure from the stone §He believed sculpture was the finest, most challenging of all the visual arts §Wanted to finish the Sistine Chapel quickly and return to sculptures for the tomb of Pope Julius II
Athena Tacha, Star Fountain
§Vertical glass columns organized into a spiraling shape §Colors change over a four-minute time span §The movement in the work recalls the action of dance, as the rhythms of the installation flow in graceful patterns
Tlingit Chilkat dancing blanket (artwork)
§Woven entirely by hand from goat wool and cedar bark §Traditional Chilkat style: a weaving intended to be a two-dimensional portrayal of totem carving §Worn on ceremonial occasions by high-ranking members of the Tlingit tribe
