Sculpting is the art of creating figurative or abstract forms, both free and in relief; these forms are called sculptures. Along with painting, architecture, music, poetry and dance, it is one of the artistic manifestations of the plastic arts or visual arts. The sculptural works are expressed through solid, real, volumetric forms, since they occupy a three-dimensional space: they have height, width and depth, so that the volume and bulk can be touched, surrounded and seen from any angle.
What is a sculpture
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It is the art of forming a figure using different techniques and solid materials, which is also called sculpture. The artist who executes it is called "sculptor", who embodies ideas, feelings and other expressions for the admiration of those who appreciate this art.
The definition of sculpture indicates that the use of materials and techniques for its creation has developed currents and styles through the ages, which marked the epoch and have been one of the most iconic manifestations of the different generations. The techniques and methods are also influenced by the values, ideas, judgments and conceptions of each era and geographic space.
It is considered one of the fine arts, along with architecture, music, dance, poetry, among others, being a manifestation of the plastic or visual arts, and its materialization is considered as the exhibition of the sculptor's imagination, and stands out for its three-dimensionality; that is to say, it can be appreciated from different angles, since it has volume, unlike paintings.
The predominant theme of the sculpture is the representation of the human figure, therefore, even the images of the gods have been given an anthropomorphic appearance. According to each culture, it has been given a representation of what the ideal body should be in terms of its appearance and proportion, which gave rise to the known canons or standards.
For the realization of them, different materials are used that determine the appearance, texture and other physical aspects of them, but also have the intention of the artist reflected. They are used alone or in combination, and among them we have:
- The clay, which is easy to shape and includes natural, red, ball, bentonite, refractory and stoneware.
- The stone, which being a rigid material, tools are needed to work; among the best known are limestone, marble, alabaster, granite, quartz and jade.
- Stucco, which is a paste that contains a combination of sand, lime, marble dust, and a type of glue.
- The metal, which enhances the beauty and elegance of the work. Among the most used by sculptors are gold, copper, bronze, silver, Corten steel or iron.
- Wood, which is a type of material that has good physical properties to work with, since, despite being a rigid material, with the help of the correct tools, it can be easy to handle.
- Ivory, which is a rigid material, which also generates controversy due to its origin, which is the tusks of animals, especially elephants.
- Concrete, which is an inexpensive material, is made by casting solid material into a plaster mold.
What is a sculpture for?
In order to talk about what sculpture is, its functions must also be taken into account. At first, they did not have a function beyond that of immediate use, however later other functions and use are attributed to them. Several of them are the following:
1. Religious: This type of artistic manifestation has been used as manifestations of spiritual, religious and even magical beliefs, where the sculpture has been the icon of the deity to which it is worshiped. This causes the statue itself to be attributed the divine powers of the idol they represent, by transcending the material appearance of the object and transporting the believer to the spiritual plane.
In history there have been representations of spiritual authorities such as Christ or Buddha, it is necessary to highlight the fact that these images of sculptures are part of the rituals of religious practice. In addition, there were other types of works whose purpose was magical and symbolic, as amulets, which were supposed to bring good luck.
2. Commemorative: This function is to enhance the figure of an important person, their works or some fact of historical interest in the region where it is erected, giving them value and significance. This type of artistic manifestation is exhibited in public places for the reach of the entire population, and seeks to immortalize the character that is reflected in it or the situation it narrates and what it represents.
3. Funeral Home: Used as part of the reminder of a person of great importance. Proof of this are the mausoleums and monuments of Baroque sculpture or Roman sculpture.
4. Aesthetics: Or ornamental, for the decoration or beautification of a space, representing the beauty and ideals of the time, and can be for private or public use and can be accompanied by any of the other functions. The abstract sculptures of the 20th century fulfill this function, and the sculpture of the Renaissance, in addition to being aesthetic, were used as an economic investment, when they were collected, which gave a certain prestige to those who owned them.
5. Didactics: In the history of man, there have been countless numbers of uneducated and illiterate people, which is why, through these works, they were illustrated on certain cultural and religious aspects. These works are used to narrate part of the history or mythologies, and whose teachings could be transmitted from generation to generation.
Types of sculpture
There are types of sculptures, according to the materials with which they are manufactured, the techniques used or their functions, but they can be grouped into two main ones: statuary, which is one that does not depend on other elements (it is not part of a work, rather, the statues are the work itself) and which also has three-dimensional characteristics; and the ornamental, which serves as a supplementary element for architecture and statuary. Belonging to these two groups, the following stand out:
Bulk sculpture
This type of sculpture is also called a statue or image, which can be observed from any angle, as it has three-dimensionality and has been worked on in all its parts, except for the base.
At first, these works were part of architectural elements such as decorative complements, being embedded in one or more walls, such as half-size sculptures; but when free-standing sculpture emerged, they became detached from the columns and other architectural elements that limited them in form and visualization.
They are characterized by being presented in natural size or larger according to the intention or the message to be transmitted, while those of half a bulk are, in general, of smaller proportions. If it is about the representation of a human figure, they are called statues, in which Greek sculpture stands out; but if it is about the representation of a divine figure for a cult of religious character, they are called image.
According to the part of the body represented, they are classified into:
- Bust (head only).
- Torso (without head and limbs).
According to their position, they are classified into:
- Sedente (where the figure appears seated).
- Lying (she is lying down).
- Orante (on his knees).
- Equestrian (the human figure or deity appears mounted on a horse).
Bust
This is a type of round bundle, in which only the head and shoulders and part of the chest or only the head are made, so they could have the character of a portrait. The Romans popularized this type of statue, using it to enhance the importance of their prominent characters, using materials so resistant that some still exist today. The bust, as the statuary describes it, is considered a complete work and not a fragment of one.
Among the busts, there is a particular type that is called "geminate", which consists of the faces of two different characters, arranged one with their backs to the other and joined from the top of the head.
Equestrian
This type of statues are characterized by presenting a man mounted on horseback and are usually monarchs or military figures, to whom homage is paid through this artistic manifestation.
It is understood in this type of statues that if the steed has both front legs suspended in the air, the rider who rides it died in combat; if it has only one suspended leg, it died as a result of a battle wound, but the death did not occur in the field; and that if the horse has all four legs resting on the ground, the rider died of natural causes or for another reason.
However, this rule is not entirely true, being a myth, since for aesthetic reasons, this canon may be obviated or adjusted to what the sculptor wishes to capture; Furthermore, many of these figures were made while the honored character was still alive. There are also statues of the same character with different numbers of horse legs in the air.
Sculptural relief
This consists of the process in which the surfaces are subjected to achieve volume, in such a way that they can be appreciated from the same angle. This type of figure is integrated into a background, wall or furniture art, to which it is attached, which in turn, belongs to a more complete architectural work. It is three-dimensional, however, it can only be seen from a frontal angle.
There are four types of reliefs: the high relief, where the sculptural images protrude from the plane where they are carved in more than half their thickness; the half relief, which stands out to a lesser extent than the high relief; the bas-relief, where it is carved by cutting the bottom of the base, and protrudes less than half; and the excavated relief or hollow relief, that the figures do not protrude from the background plane and in fact, are sunken with respect to the base plane.
This type of art is found in the decoration of temples, and they are used to stage an isolated event or narrate a sequence.
Mobile sculpture
This type of sculptural representation is characterized by the fact that the pieces that make it up can move and even produce sounds. They are abstract sculptures, whose moving parts are driven by mechanical systems, motors or by the wind.
The characteristic movement of these works creates different perspectives and visual experiences, and belongs to kinetic art, since it is the current in which the works (both sculptural and painting) have movement or give the illusion of having it.
What are the most popular sculptural techniques
For the creation of sculptural works, there are different techniques according to the materials that make them up. The tools used will vary according to the method of execution of the work and will be determined by the intention of the sculptor. For example, to work with materials such as clay or plasticine, a manual method will be necessary; while for hard materials like stone or wood, carving is the best option.
Some of these techniques are sculpting, carving, modeling, casting, assembling, embossing, embossing, engraving and stamping, among others.
Sculpted
This technique consists of removing very small parts from the block of material that is being worked until the desired shape is obtained and is carried out with tools such as chisels, burins, chisels, punches, hammers, diamond discs and widia.
The materials that require this technique can be poor bronzes, which contain a high degree of copper; the concrete; and stones, especially marble. There is a Mayan sculpture, which are the glyphs, where this technique was applied by that culture.
Carving
This technique, as in sculpting, consists of removing particles from the block of material, using the same tools, in addition to sandpaper, and with the difference that this is done on wood.
Modeling
It refers to the technique of manually shaping a paste, adding or removing part of it, until the desired shape is obtained. This technique is usually applied to soft materials, which can be bathed in plaster or some other material from which molds can be taken.
The materials that are usually worked in this method are: plasticine, which is handled with the hands and small spatulas, and used to make sketches, although in animation small clay sculptures are used to make films or short films; wax, used as a complementary material to make prototypes or sketches, although in recent years statues of this material have been created, and work is done with the help of scrapers and files; and clay, which can be used with additional techniques, such as the application of heat or pressure.
Foundry
It consists of the melting of the material with which the sculptural work will be made, which will be deposited in a liquid form in a casting mold and achieve the desired work by cooling and hardening. The materials that are generally used in this technique are metals, such as bronze, silver, gold or copper.
Assembly
This consists of the integration of the pieces that make up a sculptural work, to obtain a resulting composition, and it can be made with glue, nails, screws, nuts or any other element according to the material used.
The most popular famous sculptures
According to their technique, materials, quality, there have been sculptural works in history whose duration in time has been remarkable, as well as their grandeur, originality or meaning.
Among the famous sculptures most recognized around the world and from different periods, the following can be highlighted:
1. Bulk sculpture
to David
- Author: Miguel Ángel Buonarotti.
- Period: 1501 ~ 1504.
- Material: White marble.
b) Venus de Milo
- Author: Unknown, but it is presumed to be the work of Alejandro de Antioquia.
- Epoch: 130 ~ 100 BC
- Material: White marble.
c) Statue of Liberty
- Author: Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.
- Period: 1886.
- Material: Copper.
2. Bust
a) Bust of Nefertiti
- Author: Tutmose or Dyehutymose.
- Period: 1345 BC
- Material: Limestone and gypsum.
b) Beveldere torso
- Author: Apollonius of Athens.
- Period: 2nd century BC
- Material: Marble.
3. Equestrian
a) Statue of Marcus Aurelius
- Unknown author.
- Epoch: 176 AD
- Material: Bronze.
b) Statue of Genghis Khan
- Author: Sculptor D. Erdembileg and architect J. Enkhjargal.
- Period: 2008.
- Material: Stainless steel.
4. Sculptural relief
a) Parthenon Frieze
- Author: Presumably Phidias.
- Epoch: 443 ~ 438 BC
- Material: Pentelic marble.
b) Reliefs of the Arc de Triomphe
- Author: Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin, François Rude.
- Period: 1806-1836.
- Material: Stone.
5. Mobile sculpture
a) Caracas Sphere
- Author: Jesús Soto.
- Period: 1974.
- Material: Formica and plexiglass.
b) The four elements
- Author: Alexander Calder.
- Period: 2005.
- Material: Metal.
