Although contemporary art refers to art of both the late 20th and early 21st century, it has experienced a resurgence in popularity over the last few years. People who are new to the art world are often attracted to this form of sculpture because it tends to speak to their situations and lifestyles in a way that art doesn’t always do. Many artists specializing in contemporary sculpture are making a statement about the current state of our world, and present a commentary on our priorities of modern society. One style of contemporary art that may people are widely familiar with is “pop” art as exemplified by the work of Andy Warhol.
One such artist who utilizes art to provide social commentary is world-renowned sculptor Robin Antar. She creates works of art out of everyday items such as denim jeans as well as household and food products. By making these dispensable items essentially timeless by capturing them in a form that will last for a very long time, she is demonstrating the importance of the everyday.
This is the key difference with certain forms of contemporary sculpture that sets it apart from other forms of art. By creating a 3-dimensional object that simulates a common object that could be found in most households, many people are now finally able to relate to art in a way that may have seemed out of touch in the past.
Although each artist creates art for their own reasons, it could be argued that one of the reasons that some artists are attracted to the contemporary style is because they able to communicate to the art admirer on a very basic level. This is especially important because many people may find fine art to be intimidating or difficult to understand. In some situations, this may be because the piece of art is very personal to the artist and the artist may find it challenging to express themselves in a manner that is inclusive. In fact, many people feel that art is not meant to be completely understood, and can at the most only be appreciated from a distance.
However, when an artist decides that they will take a common object and represent it in different form than it is usually seen, they are making a point of building a relationship with the observer. Because the sculpting process allows the piece of art to last indefinitely, the disposable becomes for all intents and purposes, permanent. This fact combined with an ordinary, everyday object chosen as the model for the piece of contemporary sculpture ensure that this type of art can be appreciated by both the very sophisticated and the admirer who is new to the art world.
Not all forms of art necessarily seek to express social commentary, but in many cases, contemporary art does fill this void. In particular, contemporary sculpture can create an opportunity to see a common object in a very different manner that allows you to question your assumptions and possibly understand the art and the artist in a way that previously seemed impossible.
Author: Robin Antar
The term “abstract sculpture” generally applies to art that does not attempt to represent an item or model itself after anything and it does not necessarily have a specific starting or finishing point. Instead, it is an entirely intuitive method of creating something that while it may not be easy to completely and quickly understand, can nevertheless create a definitive and lasting impact for the observer.
For the artist, the decision to create an abstract piece of sculpture can be met with a kind of freedom from trying to recreate something that already exists in another form. In fact, the lack of rules associated with developing this kind of art can be considered to be both attractive and intimidating. While the artist is free from the assumptions and restrictions that comes from modeling a work of sculpture after an item, they are also completely responsible for the outcome of the project and how it is perceived. Of course, the artist still assumes a certain level of responsibility even when modeling a piece after an item, but with abstract sculpture, there is the sense of creating something out of nothing that adds a different dimension to the artwork.
When creating an abstract piece of art, the sculptor must always remain aware of the tools and resources they are utilizing to create their piece. They must also take note of the color and lines of their artwork as they are working as this shapes the outcome of the piece.
One of the great benefits of abstract sculpture is the variety of materials that can be utilized to create a sculpture. Artists can use stone, wire, wood, clay and many other materials in their sculptures. Each material offers its own unique benefits and challenges that can greatly enhance the piece of work. This is also why abstract sculpture can be very difficult to clearly define. The artwork varies so greatly from piece to piece based solely on the types of materials that are used. As an example, paintings will retain some resemblance to each other based solely on the fact that the same types of materials (canvas, paint) are used to create each piece. However, in the case of abstract sculpture, the piece of art created with stone will be very different from the one created using wire. Even if the artist were to attempt to recreate a piece using two different types of materials, it would be impossible because the basic materials are far too different to allow for a complete duplication.
One could argue that this is the basic premise of abstract sculpture – creating a piece that is completely unique and that could not be replicated, regardless of attempts to do so. This recognition could also serve to motivate the artist with the understanding that their piece is completely personal to them and that it is impossible to duplicate, because it is not based on a model and is created with materials chosen for that artist’s personal reasons. It may be art that cannot be readily explained or interpreted, but only accepted as a great piece of art.
Author: Robin Antar
Modern Sculpture Bronze Sculpture
Modern Sculpture is known as a phenomenon that lasted from 1860s through the 1970s. During this period artists started breaking old norms and almost reinvented the art status of sculpture. We can mention such talented sculptors as Pablo Picasso, Peter Voulkos, George E. Ohr, and Kenneth Price as being key to this process. They created three-dimensional structures through the combination of disparate objects into a whole. They used various materials, including ceramics, clay, bronze, wood etc.
Modern sculpture as well as art in general is impacted by successive art styles like Geometric Abstraction, Cubism, De Stijl, Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism Suprematism, Constructivism, Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop-Art. The advent of Surrealism, for example, was significant in terms of sculpture because it led to things occasionally being described as “sculpture” that would not have been so previously, such as “involuntary sculpture” in several senses, including coulage.
Also important was the vocabulary of reduction and abstraction, which was seen throughout the 1930s and 1940s and was exemplified by artists such as Gaston Lachaise, Sir Jacob Epstein, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Julio Gonzlez, Pablo Serrano, Jacques Lipchitz at that time, and later in the century by Carl Andre and John Safer who added motion and monumentality to the themes of purity of line.
By the 1960s Abstract expressionism, Geometric abstraction and Minimalism predominated. Some works of the period are: the ‘Cubi’ works of David Smith, the large scale work of John Chamberlain, and environmental installation scale works by Mark di Suvero.
In 1967 Picasso presented his acclaimed work, “Chicago Picasso” in Chicago. It is a 50 feet high, massive, abstract bronze structure. The viewers wondered whether the subject was a bird, horse, woman, or a non-figurative abstraction. This landmark creation was an indicator of the new connection that modern sculptors felt with bronze. Another significant example was “Knife Edge – Two Piece” in 1962, erected near the House of Lords in London, by Henry Moore. The author described the phenomenon of modern sculpture: “the sensitive observer of sculpture must learn to feel the shape simply as shape, not as description or reminiscence. He must, for example, perceive an egg as a simple solid shape, quite apart from its significance as food, or from the literary idea that it will become a bird.”
Bronze sculpture has been around for a long time. Bronze enjoys considerable longevity, and it slightly expands before it sets. This allows the artist to apply the finest details to the piece. Bronze is very strong and ductile. This ductility contributes greatly to works that depict motion, especially in human and animal figure.
Modern artists use different methods to keep this art form alive and well. There are a number of discrete casting processes that have to be mastered, such as sand casting and centrifugal casting. When artists plan to create a large bronze sculpture, they usually create a miniature example of what they plan to create first. They also use a large number of measuring devices to scale the dimensions of a piece accurately.
One method to create a bronze sculpture is the lost-wax method. It is an older method, but still commonly used today. To use it, an artist sculpts the original piece in wax, wood or clay, and then spends hours or even days perfecting the desired shape of the artwork. The waxed piece is then dipped in ceramic, and then dipped in fine sand, giving the detail. It is then dipped in coarser sand which will give strength to the piece. This process is repeated until the coating reaches one quarter of an inch in thickness. The artwork is heated to one thousand five hundred degrees Fahrenheit to melt the wax and set the ceramic mold.
As we can see, bronze sculpture is very popular for excellent reasons, and may express different aspects of time and Weltanschauung.
Author: melvillejackson
