Sculpture is one of the oldest art forms known, and it has grown out of our ability to create tools for living, and our need for self-expression. In its purest sense, sculpture is a formal object with no other purpose than conceptual. In this way, it is not a container for cooking, or a chair for sitting. In its earliest definition, sculpture was a carved object. But as techniques and material choices developed, so did the definition of sculpture. In time, forming (as with clay) and casting (as with bronze) became predominant methods. Unlike carving, forming could be quickly realized, and casting allowed for repetition. As technology developed further, modern construction techniques entered into sculpture. Pre-made sheet goods could be utilized to assemble works in much more efficient, lightweight, and structural ways. Currently, we are at a paradigm shift in methodology, where concepts can be generated in the non-dimensional digital world, and printed in 3D in a wide variety of materials. In this way, a sculptor can be completely hands-off, and their finished works can arrive through the mail, fully realized, from a printing company.
The oldest sculptures known are figurative in nature. Their form infers their meaning. These stone carvings represented the female form with voluptuous bodies exaggerated to emphasize hips, bellies, buttocks, breasts and genitalia. We believe that these were ceremonial objects or talismans related to fertility. When people transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to semi-sedentary and sedentary pastoral and agricultural societies, sculpture became monumental, complex, and often narrative. Most sculpture was of a religious and ritual nature, made to mark astronomical events, lay the dead to rest, and give glory to gods, rulers, and significant individuals. Take for example Stone Henge, Çatalhöyük history houses, the great Pyramids and tombs of the Pharaohs, The Parthenon in Athens, fine carved jade from ancient China, sculptures of deities and rulers around the globe, of Vishnu, Buddha, Jesus, Olmec heads, and countless others. As these depictions developed in skill and complexity, so did their cost in time and money. These works required patrons, who decided content. Religious, historical war, and political narratives reigned until the post-industrial revolution. Scientific discovery, technological development, an increase in social freedom and living standards was reflected artistically. Figurative work began to represent common people. Then non-representative sculpture appeared, with no need to define anything beyond its pure form. Intellectual investigation began replacing doctrine. Art became increasingly specific and conceptual. Today, the field is wide open. It is both a wonderful and difficult place to be.
What is the impact of this history on you? Where do we go from here?
