|
What makes
sculpture
different from
the other visual
arts?
Since sculpture
is
three-dimensional,
we can walk
around it and
appreciate from
multiple angles
how the light
moves over its
surfaces.
Sculpture
depends on real
light and actual
space to reveal
the beauty of
its forms and
surfaces, so the
sculptor does
not have to
create the
illusion of
space or light.
In this way, the
sculptor is
freed from the
two essential
challenges of
traditional
two-dimensional
art. In
exchange, the
sculptor must
deal with other
practical and
visual concerns.
Sculptures must
be balanced, or
they'll topple
over. They must
also be visually
appealing from
more than one
point of view,
and well-suited
to the display
space. But when
all these
considerations
are masterfully
addressed,
sculpture offers
a unique sensory
experience that
distinguishes it
from all other
visual arts.
At ease with
sculpture
We live in a
world full of
objects. Our
senses,
especially our
binocular
vision, are
designed for
perceiving
objects. It's no
wonder, then,
that sculpture
is innately
familiar to us —
and seems to be
more a part of
our everyday
world than a
part of the art
world. Go to the
sculpture garden
of any museum,
and you'll
witness the
intimate
familiarity
sculpture
inspires:
children who
stand at a
reverent
distance from a
famous painting
will climb all
over an equally
expensive piece
of sculpture —
if the guards
allow them.
Sense and
sensibility
Sculpture also
has an innate
tactile appeal.
You can test
this appeal
yourself. Stand
next to a piece
of sculpture
made of stone or
wood, and pay
attention to
your impulse to
touch its
surface. Would
you feel the
same desire to
touch a
lithograph or a
photograph?
Since the
materials used
in sculpture are
basically the
materials of our
everyday world —
wood, stone,
clay, metal,
plastic — they
seem much more
familiar and
approachable
than oil,
acrylic, and
encaustic.
Covering
their rear
Whether you
think of the
colossal statues
of Egyptian
pharaohs or
delicate mobiles
sculpture is
unique among the
visual arts as
being
essentially
three-dimensional.
And because it
has real volume,
a sculpture can
usually be seen
from more than
one viewpoint.
There may be a
clearly defined
front and back —
but a sculptor
must account for
viewers walking
around the
sculpture. Both
literally and
metaphorically,
sculptors must
cover their
rear.
A sense of
place
Because
sculpture is so
interactive,
sculptors must
create with
people in mind —
how viewers are
likely to
interact with
it, move around
it, and
associate it
with a
particular
place. Some
sculpture is
created for a
specific
building site or
public space,
and seems to
define the space
around it. Think
of how silly the
Statue of
Liberty would
look inside a
sports stadium
like the Houston
Astrodome, but
how appropriate
it seems in the
New York harbor.
While
two-dimensional
works of art can
be moved with
relative ease,
sculpture must
be installed
with forethought
and care.
Explore the
possibilities
The number and
variety of
approaches to
sculpture are
almost
limitless. Most
correspond to
the four basic
methods of
making sculpture |
