M8-Objectives & Overview

Module 8 – Three-Dimensional Media

OVERVIEW
Three-dimensional media occupies space defined through the dimensions of height, width
and depth. It includes sculpture, installation and performance art, craft and product
design. Two processes are responsible for all three-dimensional art: additive, in which
material is built up to create form, or subtractive, where material is removed from an
existing mass, such as a chunk of stone, wood or clay. The different categories we’ll
examine in this module are not necessarily exclusive from each other, and we will look at
some examples of three-dimensional art that arguably cross over between
categories. Topics covered include:
 Types of Sculpture and other Three-Dimensional Media
 Methods
 Modern Variations of Three-Dimensional Media

OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
• Identify and describe specific characteristics of three-dimensional mediums artist
use.
• Demonstrate how the advance of technology is reflected in three-dimensional
media throughout the art historical record.
• Explain the effects installation and performance art has on artistic experience.
• Compare and contrast three-dimensional artworks from different cultures.

M8-Types of Sculpture and other Three-Dimensional Media

TYPES OF SCULPTURE & OTHER THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA

Sculpture is any artwork made by the manipulation of materials resulting in a three-

dimensional object.

M8-Methods
METHODS
Carving
Casting
Modeling
Construction or Assemblage

M8-Modern Variations of Three-Dimensional Media

MODERN VARIATIONS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA

Dan Flavin is one of the first artists to explore the possibilities of light ) as a sculptural
medium. Since the 1960’s his work has incorporated fluorescent bulbs of different colors
and in various arrangements. Moreover, he takes advantage of the wall space the light is
projected onto, literally blurring the line between traditional sculpture and the more
complex medium of installation.
 M9-Overview & Objectives
Module 9 - Architecture
OVERVIEW
Architecture is the art and science of designing structures and spaces for human use.
Architectural design in itself is an art form realized through considerations of spatial
design and aesthetics. Related to sculpture, architecture creates three-dimensional objects
that occupy a given space and create a visual relationship with the space around them.
The differences between the sculpture and architecture are in their scale and utility. Early
human structures provided shelter from the elements. As hunter- gatherer societies
transitioned to farming they made more permanent shelters, eventually formed
communities, towns and cities. For thousands of years, architecture reflected the specific
environment and materials available in any given region, including rock caves or huts of
wood, soil and brick. Many were assemblages of materials like grasses, leaves and animal
hides. Nomadic) peoples still utilize these materials.
Architecture solves problems concerning the use of space, interior design and the
landscape that surrounds it. The limitations imposed on architecture by the laws of
physics are solved to a large extent by engineering. The greatest limitations on design are
the physical loads exerted by a structure’s weight.Compression loads refer to vertical
weight and shear loads travel at an angle or horizontally. Buildings need stable
foundations and framing systems that support the spanning of open space.
This module explores the history of architecture and its relation to visual art. The topics
covered in this module include:
 Traditional Methods and Materials
 Architecture in China and the Far East
 Cross-Cultural Influences
 Architecture and the Industrial Revolution
 Modern Architecture: A New Language
 Post Modern and Contemporary Architecture
 Green Architecture

OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
• Discuss architecture’s significance to shelter and habitat.
• Describe the traditional and modern styles of architecture.
• Explain architectural materials and structural systems.
• Describe architecture as a reflection of culture.
• Demonstrate familiarity with symbolic uses of architecture.
• Discuss new technologies and ‘green’ adaptations in architectural design.

M9-Traditional Methods & Materials

TRADITIONAL METHODS & MATERIALS

The basic methods in building design and construction have been used for thousands of
years. Stacking stones, laying brick or lashing wood together in one form or another are
still used today in all parts of the world. But over the centuries, innovations in methods
and materials have given new expression to architecture and the human footprint on the
landscape. We can look to historical examples for clues that give context to different style
periods.

M9-Architecture in China and the Far East

ARCHITECTURE IN CHINA & THE FAR EAST

Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture ) that has taken shape in East
Asia ) over many centuries. The structural principles of traditional Chinese
architecture have remained largely unchanged. Chinese architectural (and aesthetic)
design is based on symmetry, a general emphasis on the horizontal and site layouts that
reflect a hierarchy of importance. These considerations result in formal and stylistic
differences in comparison to the West, and display alternatives in design.

M9-Cross-Cultural Influences
CROSS-CULTURAL INFLUENCES

As overland and marine trade routes expanded between Eastern and Western civilizations
so did the influence of cultural styles in architecture, religion and commerce. The most
important of these passages was the Silk Road, a system of routes that developed over
hundreds of years across the European and Asian continents. Along this route are
buildings that show cross-cultural influences in their design.

M9-Architecture and the Industrial Revolution

ARCHITECTURE & THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Beginning in the 18th century the Industrial Revolution made fundamental changes in
agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and housing. Architecture changed in response
to the new industrial landscape. Prior to the late 19th century, the weight of a multistory
building had to be supported principally by the strength of its walls. The taller the
building, the more strain this placed on the lower sections. Since there were clear
engineering limits to the weight such load-bearing walls could sustain, large designs
meant massively thick walls on the ground floors, and definite limits on the building's
height.

M9-Modern Architecture: A New Language

MODERN ARCHITECTURE: A NEW LANGUAGE

The move to modernism was introduced with the opening of the Bauhaus school in
Weimar Germany. Founded in 1919 by the German architect Walter Gropius, Bauhaus
(literal translation “house of construction”) was a teaching and learning center for modern
industrial and architectural design. Though not a movement or style in itself, Bauhaus
instructors and staff reflected different artistic perspectives, all of them born from the
modern aesthetic. It was partly the product of a post- World War I search for new artistic
definitions in Europe and Gropius’s commitment to the principle of bringing all the arts
together with a focus on practical, utilitarian applications. This view rejected the notion
of “art for art’s sake”, putting a premium on the knowledge of materials and their
effective design. This idea shows the influence of Constructivism ), a similar philosophy
developed concurrently in Russia that used the arts for social purposes. Bauhaus existed
for fourteen years, relocating three times, and influencing a whole generation of
architects, artists, graphic and industrial designers and typographers.

M9-Post Modern and Contemporary Architecture

POST MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE

Postmodern architecture began as an international style whose first examples are

generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late
1970s) and continues to influence present-day architecture. Postmodernity in architecture
is generally thought to be heralded by the return of "wit, ornament and reference" to
architecture in response to the formalism of the International Style.

M9-Green Architecture
GREEN ARCHITECTURE

In the last decade there has emerged a strong interest in developing “green” architecture –
designs that incorporate ecologically and environmentally sustainable practices in site
preparation, materials, energy use and waste systems. Some are simple: buildings
oriented to the south or west helps with passive solar heating. Others are more complex:
Solar voltaic cells on the roof to generate power to the building. Green roofs are made of
sod and other organic material and act as a cooling agent and recycle rainwater too. In
addition, technological innovations in lighting, heating and cooling systems have made
them more efficient.