Art, including sculptures, can be created from many materials, or mediums. In this lesson, you will begin to identify different types of sculpture. You will learn specifically about:
Sculpture is a 3D art form, and sculptures can be made out of almost any material you can think of, although some materials are more commonly used than others. Materials such as metal, stone, and wood are traditionally used when creating sculptures.
IN CONTEXT
An example of a sculpture is the wooden bodhisattva statue pictured here.
Wood sculpture of Bodhisattva
Take a look below at this example of the stone head sculptures found on Easter Island, a tiny island off the coast of Chile in South America.
Stone head sculptures
The next example is a large steel sculpture, The Angel of the North. This sculpture can be found in England.
The Angel of the North
2. Additive Sculpture
Sculpture can be categorized based upon the manner in which it was created. There are three forms often used when creating sculpture. Additive refers to the addition of a raw material. Metal or clay are raw materials that can be used to create a sculpture.
IN CONTEXT
Take a look at this sculpture, a bronze casting of a deer.
Bronze Deer
Below is an image of the molds that would be used when forming castings.
Lost Wax Casting of an Apple in Plaster
did you know
Casting and modeling are good examples of additive sculpture. Casting doesn’t always use just metal. Plaster or wax, for example, can be cast as well.
terms to know
Additive
Any sculptural technique, such as casting or modeling, that involves adding material
Casting
The production of sculptures by pouring a liquid, such as plaster, molten metal, or wax, into a mold and letting it harden before the mold is removed
Modeling
The production of sculpture by adding bits of clay together until they start to resemble the desired shape
3. Subtractive Sculpture
Subtractive is basically the opposite of additive. The sculpture is created by removing material. Carving in wood or stone is an excellent example of this.
EXAMPLE
Below is a marble sculpture of Moses. This is an example of subtractive sculpture.
Moses by Michelangelo
terms to know
Subtractive
Any sculptural technique, such as carving, that involves taking material away
Carving
The production of a sculpture by scraping away, or removing, extra material from a block of stone, piece of wood, or other hard substance until the desired shape emerges
4. Assemblage Sculpture
Assemblage is formed from the root word assemble, and it means to construct a sculpture from objects that are found. Unlike raw materials such as metal or clay, assemblages are formed from materials that were once something different, such as tin cans or Popsicle sticks.
EXAMPLE
Below is an example of assemblage. Note how it’s been put together from various objects that were already something else.
Vorwärts! by Johann Dieter Wassmann
big idea
Sculpture is a three-dimensional type of artwork made by adding, removing, or assembling almost any type of material.
term to know
Assemblage
Creating a sculpture by putting together a series of found objects
summary
Sculpture is a form of 3D art that can be created using various materials and by using differing methods. Different mediums used in sculpture include metal, stone, and wood. Sculpture can be categorized by how it was created. The three forms often used when creating sculpture are additive, subtractive, and assemblage sculpture. Remember, additive sculptures are created by adding raw materials, such as in casting and modeling. Carvings, where materials are taken away, are subtractive sculptures. Assemblage sculptures are created from objects that are found.
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Terms to Know
Additive
Any sculptural technique that involves adding material, such as casting or modeling.
Assemblage
Creating a sculpture by putting together a series of found objects.
Carving
The production of a sculpture by scraping away or removing extra material from a block of stone, piece of wood, or other hard substance, until the desired shape emerges.
Casting
The production of sculptures by pouring a liquid (plaster, molten metal, wax) into a mold and letting it harden before the mold is removed.
Modeling
The production of sculpture by adding bits of clay together until they start to resemble the desired shape.
Subtractive
Any sculptural technique that involves taking material away, such as carving.
