Chapter 9
Sculpture
Instructor’s Manual
Overview
In this chapter, introduce Sculpture. Discuss how sculpture is everywhere in our everyday
life and how it has always been an impactful part of human culture.
Sub Headers
• Relief Sculpture
• Sculpture in the Round
• Kinetic Sculpture
• Performance Art
• Installations
• Earth Art
• Sculptural Methods
o Modeling
o Casting
o Wood carving
o Stone carving
• Modern Sculptural Methods: Constructing and Assembling
• Contemporary Approaches
Terms:
additive
casting
earth art
environment
freestanding
installation
kinetic sculpture
lost wax method
maquette
mobile
patina
performance
relief sculpture
subtractive
terra-cotta
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Lecture #1
Discussion:
In Lecture #1, discuss the traditional sculptural methods of relief sculpture and sculpture
in the round. Also discuss the modern approaches: kinetic sculpture, performance art,
installations, and earthworks.
Class Questions/Prompts:
Types of Sculpture It is important to understand the basic differences between the types
of sculpture. Being able to identify these categories helps students understand both
process and concept.
Two major categories are:
Relief sculpture: sculptures that project from a background and are meant to be seen from
the front. Example: Figure 9-3 Ashurnasirpal II Hunting Lions
Freestanding sculpture: sculpture in the round that is meant to be seen from all sides.
Example: Figure 9-5 Gianlorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne
New categories are:
Kinetic sculpture: art that moves. Example: Figure 9-7 Alexander Calder, Untitled
Performance Art: living sculptural events that are ephemeral; art experiences made for
the moment. Example: Figure 9-9 Joseph Beuys, How to Explain Pictures to a Dead
Hare
Installations: large scale art that takes over a space and provides a complete and unique
artistic experience. Example: Figure 9-11 Kenny Scharf, installation view of Closet, No.
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Earth Art: art that not only provides an environment but also leaves the gallery and
interacts directly with nature. Example: Figure 9-13 Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Exercise #1
1. Analysis
a. Have students make observations on materials, methods,
cultural and historical context.
Figure 9-5 & 9-6 Gianlorenzo Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, 1622–1625.
Marble, life-size. Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy.
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2. Compare and Contrast
Figure 9-3 Ashurnasirpal II Hunting Lions, (detail) Nimrud, c. 875 BCE.
Limestone, British Museum, London, Great Britain.
Figure 9-4 Plaque showing a king mounted with attendants, Benin,
Nigeria. Bronze, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Lecture #2
Discussion:
In Lecture #2, discuss sculptural methods: modeling, casting, wood carving, and stone
carving; and modern sculptural methods: constructing, assembling, and mixed media.
Ask the students which of these methods they have experienced. Have examples of
materials from real life.
Class Questions/Prompts:
Performance Art Joseph Beuys and Laurie Anderson are just two of many performance
artists who have been creating ephemeral works that fit into this category of making.
Works such as these are often difficult to explain since after the performance, these
pieces exist only as their documentation: usually photographs or video recordings. One
“problem” with this type of artwork is the privileged viewpoint of the photographer who
is documenting these performances. Generally speaking, the photographers are allowed a
particular position, close to the action or in front of the crowd, in which they watch the
performance through the viewfinder of a camera. Not only is the photographer
experiencing the performance in a different way than the audience, but he/she is
documenting the performance from a much different view than that of the general
audience. This could be compared to popular concert DVDs in which the viewer can
choose from a variety of camera angles while watching the DVD. Each view offers
something new, but also something missed when a particular vantage point is chosen over
another.
Sculptural Methods and Materials Using the examples from the text, create a list of
materials used to create the sculptures found in this chapter. Do any trends emerge?
Discuss these trends and any ideas about how the choice of materials used in sculptures
has/has not changed over time. Are any of the materials found in the chapter used/not
used by artists today? Discuss sculpture made from marble or bronze versus sculpture
made from “trash” or dead animals.
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Exercise #2
1. Analysis
a. Have students make observations on materials, methods,
cultural and historical context.
Figure 9-13 Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, April 1970. Black rocks, salt
crystal, earth, red water, algae. Great Salt Lake, Utah.
2. Compare and Contrast
Figure 9-25 Louise Nevelson, Royal Tide IV, 1960. Wood with gold-spray
technique.
Figure 9-26 Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Kiss of Death, 2003. Taxidermic
animals (carrion, crows, jackdaws, rooks, minks, and brown rats), various
bones, light projector, and metal stand. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,
New York.