GE 16 ART APPRECIATION

CHAPTER VII:
Basic Sculpture
Shane Chai Villanueva, Lorenzo Angelo Rocero & Hannah Reign Orfila
Outline of the Topic
• The Origin of Sculpture
• Importance of Sculpture
• Medium and Technique in
Sculpture
THE OR IG IN O F
SCU LP T U R E
 The origin of Sculpture

• Sculpture is derived from a latin word "Sculpure"

which means "To Carve".
• It engages our sense differently than paintings,
because it occupies space as a three-dimensional
mass through carving, casting, modeling, or
assembling materials (Sheldon, 1968)
• It has aimed to create artworks that are as long-
lasting as possible, using materials such as bronze
granite, limestone, marble, and stone. Sculptural
works in gold, ivory, jade, and silver were employed
less often. More frequent and less expensive, L'Homme au doigt (Pointing Man) by Alberto Giacometti

materials were also used for broader consumption,

like cast metals, ceramics, glass, and hardwoods.
The Origin of Sculpture

• One of the most popular forms of fine arts and one of the
most beautiful representations of humankind.
• Used to represent societal concerns, such as morality,
politics and religion.
• The earliest sculpture was made to supply magical help to
trackers, to represent gods, and to hope of making their
ancient kings become immortal.
 The Origin of Sculpture

The most common purpose of sculpture during

the ancient time is associated with religion.
Different images like a human-made object
revered for the spirit are familiar in many cultures.
One of the oldest sculptures discovered is an ivory
statuette, dating approximately 30,000 B.C.E. from
a cave of Hohlenstein-Stadel, in Germany called
Löwenmensch (lion-human). This paleolithic period
statue is about 12" tall and depicts a human figure
with a feline face.
 The Origin of Sculpture
This sculpture is part of a funerary complex
for the pharaoh. Egyptian sculpture and all
egyptian art were on the belief in a life after
death wherein the body of their ruler (the
pharaoh) was preserved carefully and burried
with some goods with him to provide for his
needs in the lifetime.

The head of the pharoah Khafre is added to

the bowing figure of a lion to form the Great
Sphinx. This type of masterpiece suggests the
combination of human intelligence and animal
strenght.
The Greath Sphinx of Egypt is a large sandstone sculpture , measuring 240' ft long and
65'ft high
Importance of Sculpture
Importance of Sculpture

The sculpture is a preceptive -regeneration of

reality through the use of three-dimensional
form. As a specialized work of art, its objective is
to exemplify a concept by forming a visual
equivalent. Since the shape is the dominant
characteristics of sculptures, the human body
and are constructed using bronze, clay, ivory as
their mediums.
Importance of Sculpture

"The Blood Compact" by

Napoleon Abueva
Importance of Sculpture

Likewise, the making of the sculpture i with the idea of

expressing religious, personal, and political views. This kind
of artwork is meant to create a sense of patriotism, pride,
greatness, and spiritual respect. Statues and sculptures
have always been an integral part of museums and art
history. They become more popular as decoration items in
private homes and office facilities. Sculptures and
miniatures have also become more popular as decoration
items, and in the long term, valuable art investments.
Types of Sculptures
 Types of Sculpture

• BUST. Sculpted and painted representation of the upper part of the human
figure such as the head, neck, shoulders, chest, or breast.

2. STATUE. A life size or a larger size of a sculpture of a person or an animal, made of

metal, stone or wood.. The world's tallest statue is the 420 feet (128 meters) Spring
Temple Buddha in Henan, China.
 Types of Sculpture

3. ARCHITECTURAL. A universal classification used to describe a structural

design such as buildings, bridges, burial chambers and other big projects. It
is from a brand of materials that includes carved stone such as brownstone,
cast iron, machine pressed sheetzinc, terra cotta, concrete, and other
architectural supplies.
Types of Sculpture

4. RELIEF. from a Latin verb "Levo" which means to raise. To create a sculpture
in relief is to give a notion that the sculpted materials have been raised above the
canvas. This type of sculpture is projected into three-dimensional space. The
back of the relief sculpture is not meant to be seen and the entire design can be
understood from a frontal view.
THREE TYPES OF RELIEF

High Relief

The figures in this

sculpture are dramatically
raised from the
background.
 THREE TYPES OF RELIEF

Bas
(Low relief) Relief
Characterized by figures
that are only slightly
raised from the surface
of the background.
THREE TYPES OF RELIEF

Sunken Relief

(incised or intaglio relief)

Relief that is created by
having an image carved down
below the surface of the
sculpture.
 MEDIUM
AND
TECHNIQUES
IN
SCULPTURE
MEDIUM AND TECHNIQUES IN SCULPTURE
• CARVING. a procedure in cutting away objects until the desired
design is formed or achieved. Various tools are used, depending on
the materials to be carved and the statue to which the work has
progressed.

a. STONE CARVING. requires patience and planning. It is a shaping

activity of pieces of rough natural stone through the use of essential hand
tools like hammer and chisel.

b. WOOD CARVING. It is the art of shaping objects of wood using

cutting tools. It is done through a specialized carving knife (used to cut or
smooth the wood), the slicer saw (used to cut off chunks of wood), the
chisel (used for lines and cleaning up flat surfaces), and the gauge ( used
in carving hollows , rounds, and sweeping curves).
MEDIUM AND TECHNIQUES IN SCULPTURE
2. CASTING. A method by which a liquid material is usually
poured into a frame or pattern, which contains a hollow cavity
of the desired shape, and the allowed to harden. It has two
types:

a. Glass Casting. it is a shaping activity of pieces of rough

natural stone through the use of essential hand tools like
hammer and chisel.

b. Slip Casting. It is a technique for a mass-production of

pottery,especially for shapes not easily made on wheel.
DIUM AND TECHNIQUES IN SCULPTURE
3. MOLDING. An additive process. It is the working of
soft or plastic materials. (like clay ad wax) by hand to
build up or shape to create a form.

4. ASSEMBLAGE. An additive proces of gathering and

joining different materials to create an assembled work .
An example of Assemblage is the American artist
Martin Puryears's network of welded and sandblasted
stainless steel tubes whose joints are bound together by
strands of silver and patented bronze. Some of these
objects are junk from the street.
 Basic Sculpture
Terms
• ARMATURE. It is a skeleton like framework used to support the building of paper -mache,
usually made of stiff wire.
• BASE. It is the portion of the work on which the sculpture rest.
• CRAFTSMANSHIP. it is a skill with which one uses tools and materials in producing art.
• PLASTER OF PARIS. it is a fine white powder that sets hard when mixed in the water.
• FREESTANDING. it refers to a method when a sculpture is intended to view from all sides.
• MANIPULATION. it is a process of shaping an object by a skilled worker.
• REPLICA. it refeers to the precise reproduction of an artwork.