La Carlex
Nieuwsbrief van vrijdag 22 november
Bulletin du vendredi 22 novembre
Bulletin du vendredi 22 novembre
De
welkomsdrink (14-11-2013) voor de eerstejaars:
foto's, met dank aan Alex
foto's, met dank aan Alex
Apéritif de bienvenue pour les élèves de la première:
photos, grâce à Alex
Christine Heymans is de enige echte winnares van het kruiswoordraadsel
van het beeldhouwatelier!
Christine Heymans est la seul et unique gagnante du concours mots croisés
de l’atelier de sculpture !
Maryvonne selecteerde en printte tekstjes van
beeldhouwers:
Maryvonne a sélectionné quelques textes
de sculpteurs:
Elke student is een
reservoir van potentialiteit, elke student kan een andere toekomst opleveren.
Carla
Creativity is
allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
Painting and sculpture are very archaic forms. It's the only thing left
in our industrial society where an individual alone can make something with not
just his own hands, but brains, imagination, heart maybe.
Philip Guston
Philip Guston
Once I began to hear and pay attention to my fledgling ideas, the biggest
hurdle was to learn how to respect them. That was hard, because the real way to
respect an idea is to invest the attention and work needed to develop it.
Janet Echelman
Janet Echelman
Studying Contemporary Sculpture
By Christine Finkelstein
On a fundamental
level, sculpture can be defined as a three-dimensional object, a volumetric
form possessing measurable height, width, and depth and occupying real space. Freestanding
works are to be viewed in the round from a continuously changing vantage point
to witness how the form evolves. A relief, which is attached to a flat vertical
surface and projects outward, is often read from one vantage point, as one
would view a painting. The play of light on and across the surfaces can be
incorporated in the work to accentuate forms and textures. Looking at
sculpture, especially freestanding works, takes place over a matter of time,
which adds a unique quality to the viewing experience.
Another aspect
that can set sculpture apart from painting or drawing is the actual process of
creation. The very nature of the media utilized can dictate that the execution
be a collaborative one between artist and technician. Special facilities, along
with trained and experienced staff, are needed for casting bronze and other
metals, fabricating industrial materials, and cutting stone.
As with painting
and other artworks, sculpture can be studied with an object-directed approach. Visual
skills can be developed by examining a sculpture's formal and sensory qualities
(i.e. line, color, form, texture, etc.) and analyzing how the elements (i.e.
scale, balance, rhythm, proportion, etc.) are organized. Through the exercises
of description and analysis, art terms become familiar and vocabularies are
increased. The viewer acquires the skill not only to look, but also to see and
"read" sculpture.
Techniques
employed by artists can also be studied and compared to works produced by
students in studio classes. An introduction to materials and techniques can
provide the opportunity to better understand the choices artists have available
to them and, in turn, how choices have effected the outcome of their
sculptures. It will also become apparent how the selective process aids in the
conveyance of the statement the artists wish to present.
The
object-associated approach, the examination of the context within which the
artwork was created, can be combined with the object-directed. A broad,
inclusive application of study takes into consideration the artist's biography,
including his/her education, training, and related interests. It also
encompasses the art historical context, reflecting upon the contemporaneous art
movements, trends, and prevailing philosophical and cultural environments. All
combine to directly or indirectly influence the outcome of the work.
It is necessary to
understand that art is a constantly evolving continuum that changes through
refinement, expansion, and selective rejection of what previously occurred. Equal
in importance is the recognition that art is a reflection of the times in which
it is created. Consideration should be given to the cultural climate and historical
context, and the biography of the artist. It is helpful to become acquainted
with the characteristics that set apart the sculpture being made today from
those made by past artists to allow for a deeper and broader appreciation of
this art form.
In order to better
understand contemporary sculpture, it helps to become familiar with the rich
history from which it developed. In the last century many movements arose,
building upon and breaking away from what preceded, for the most part following
a steady movement towards abstraction. Subject matter was suppressed, the
figure abandoned, and emphasis was placed on the art object itself. Sculpture
in particular went through rapid changes and significant developments from the
mid-twentieth century onward. Artists of creative genius broke boundaries and
made way for numerous innovative developments that followed.
Beginning in the
1950s, welding metal, incorporating found objects, and recombining industrially
prefabricated units were some of the significant approaches examined and
accepted. Artists embraced industrial materials and techniques as part of a
bold sculptural language, choosing to reject traditional methods of casting or
modeling. Consequently, an unprecedented partnership was formed between artist
and industry.
The assemblage,
the joining together of found objects in a single context, began to receive
considerable attention, especially by American artists in the 1950s and 1960s. In
effect the three-dimensional collage caused the viewer to look at the objects
in a new and different way. Taken out of their usual context, the objects
passed in and out of the newly formed and the already ingrained associations in
the viewer's mind.
The sixties, an
era recognized for its questioning of tradition and values, continued a period
of intense activity in the field of sculpture. Pop Art offered social
commentaries through the selection of easily recognized products and people
from popular culture as subject matter. Minimalist artworks emphasized formal
properties through tightly structured geometric form, and strove to eliminate,
in visual and creative terms, the artists' process and presence. During these
same years conceptual art declared a strong foothold in the art world. Its
concern with the intellect and the concept presented was partially in protest of
sculpture's place as a commodity in a booming art market. Happenings in the
sixties followed later by performance art that bridged the conceptual and
theatrical, defying set definitions and parameters.
This broadening of
the definition of three-dimensional art, beyond objects on a pedestal, can also
be read as an influence on installations, in which the viewer experiences the
work from within it, not by standing in front of it. This concept played a part
in the development of earthworks, also known as environmental art, and site
specific works. These works are installed outside the realm of traditional
viewing space (i.e. museum, gallery, public spaces, and home) and are built to
be an integral part of their surroundings. This period coincided with an increase
in the number of public commissions and government support for the inclusion of
art works in public projects.
In the 1980s the
term pluralism was a frequently heard buzzword, giving title to the multitude
of styles seen in that decade. Besides drawing from previous movements, styles,
and even eras in the Post-Modernist sense, subject matter often became
expressive and embraced the figure once more as some young artists moved away
from the tenets of pure abstraction. The computer and other technological
advancements impacted the design, engineering, and realization of artworks.
Studying the past
decades reveals how artists today are continuing to push beyond that which was
already established. A selective decision-making process that includes drawing
from their artistic heritage, utilizing what is available in the present, and
orchestrating the artist's own talents and psyche produces original artworks
unique to each period. Artists possess a personal inner drive, an urge to
create and ultimately present a statement. This statement translates to a work
of art to be shared with the viewing public. The artist goes through a decision
making process to reach his/her final objective, which is to bring this
statement to physical reality. By becoming familiar with the present array of
choices available to contemporary sculptors, a more complete understanding of
the work is gained.
Contemporary
sculpture is but a segment of the visual arts offering an excellent vehicle
through which one can teach art history, art production, criticism and
aesthetics, while employing problem-solving skills. Through the study and
practice of sculpture, expressive language in both the visual and literary
sense is acquired and refined. With this acquired knowledge, a greater
appreciation and understanding is gained not only for contemporary sculpture,
but for the relation among all of the arts and the role they play in the
development of our social and cultural history.
Contemporary
Sculpture 101
Matthew | September 1, 2011
After organizing my lecture notes for class, I came across this short
document I wrote on the fundamentals of sculpture, I called it Defining
Strong Sculpture. It was written after I had a lengthy conversation
with one of my students on what it takes to create appealing sculpted forms,
and how this applies to digital 3D modeling of characters, landscapes, and
other objects. I’d like to share these notes with you. I outlined
four fundamentals to consider when sculpting either physically or digitally; material
selection or choice, interlocation, tension of space, and the
texture or the language of the surface.
Material, form, and space define sculpture. This is uniquely
different from the planar 2D arts. Form is to sculpture as shape is to
the draw image.
When used in reference to sculpture, form is an elusive term. It has
been defined as the universal meaning of sculptural objects. While this
may be true, it is often much more. It is shape, dimension, structure,
technique, the intrinsic and extrinsic character, the arrangement of content,
and all of these things in combination. Further, and most important, it
is the sculptor exercising his or her will on the piece and giving it life.†
Second is space. Space would be the negative area surrounding the
positive area of the form. The marriage between form and space, how one
“weaves” the two together, defines the appeal of the sculpture. “The
displacement of space by a new and intentional form by the artist creates a new
reality: sculpture.” ¹ An excellent example of form displacing space in
Brancusi’s Bird in Space.
Bird in Space, Brancusi
As a side note, this piece, as with all sculpture, cannot be fully
appreciated or even understood from a single image online. If you find a
turn-around movie of the sculpture, please send me a link, and I’ll append this
article.
Take this a bit further, what makes contemporary sculpture, today’s
sculpture, unique from the other forms of art? It can be argued that some
paintings are very “thick”, and therefore protrude far enough to qualify as
having form, and therefore are sculpture. Or a ceramicist creates
non-wheel thrown forms, and considers them sculptures. I suppose from the
traditional perspective this is absolutely true. However, times have
changed, and so have the mechanisms for the definition of sculpture.
Let’s look at welding, for example. At the turn of the 20th century
industrialism was sweeping across the first world, and this very practical
method of fabrication changed the landscape of sculpture forever.
Sculpture was no longer limited with large bulky forms bound to the
earth, but could penetrate space with linear wispy arms reaching into the sky.
David Smith
Look for work by David Smith for more examples of welding in
art. The tensile strength of steel allowed artists to create armatures that are
not columnar, but cantilevers in space. Like a line draw on a wall,
sculpture became drawing with steel in space. Not only does the steel jut
into space, but it can be covered or carry many sorts of materials at varying
weights. This leads me to the first step in defining an appealing
sculpture, and what separates sculpture from it’s contemporaries.
Material choice, or the artist’s selection of materials.
Material choice and the juxtaposition of those materials is critical in
defining the overall concept and appeal of the sculpture. The
painter chooses paint, the ceramicist chooses clay, photographers choose
prints, yet the sculptor, unbound to a set material, chooses the material(s)
that delivers the concept. “At the present time, any and all materials
are fair game for the sculptor”.² The wrong material choice can lead the
viewer astray, regardless of how well made, or how iconographic the piece may
be. The primary material juxtaposed with one or more materials is a
critical fundamental step in creating appealing sculpture. The overuse of
juxtaposing materials can become confusing for the viewer, cluttered, and can
lead the concept astray. A balance, or proportional use of materials must
be struck to avoid the viewer being mislead.
Second, is the interlocation, or interlocking of parts. How do all
the parts come together? What fasteners, or lack there of, are used to
join the materials? A former professor of mine, Robert
Booth, once referred to this concept as the “marriage of the parts”.
Interlocation can be achieved with a dove tail joint, a weld, a screw, a
wooden nail, a nut and bolt, with glue, putty, cement, plaster, wire mesh, etc.
All of which are materials to be considered as a part of the whole, if
not a part of the armature. Interlocation could also be defined as the
“arrangement of content”.³
Third, is to access the tension of the space, or the lack of tension.
Is the negative space used effectively to communicate the interlocation
of the chosen materials? Imagine two magnets of the same pole trying to
touch, yet they are always just out of reach of each other. That space is
the balance from one material to the next. The leaning steel forms of Richard Serra are great examples of the
tension of space between subject and viewer, the viewer, I believe, being the
juxtaposed material.
The fourth is the texture of the surface, the marking, or the language of
the surface. Manipulation of the material’s surface, affecting it
intentionally, and juxtaposing the material against others is critical in
designing the appeal of the piece. The surface can not only create a
narrative of the material, but can draw out the emotive reaction from the
viewer, they may yearn to reach out and make contact with the piece.
Whether it is physical or digital, literal or perceived as literal, the
tactile sense defines sculpture.
Eva Hesse
Affecting the surface, such as drawing on, painting, or burning it, will
encourage the viewer to take a more intimate role of inspecting the piece.
This leads the sculptor to a arena of thinking, where they can have both
the macro and micro visual stimulus at once. Monumental sculpture, like a
Richard Serra piece, combined with the intimacy of surface from an Eva
Hesse piece.
Some may believe these ideas or instructions to be purely formal, and they
may just be that. But I won’t apologize for what I believe is a critical
few steps to building strong sculpture, and that which makes a solid framework
to deliver concepts.
The Sculptural Idea
† Kelly, James J., The Sculptural
Idea 4th Ed., 2004, Waveland Press Inc., pg. 83
Welkom
Beeldhouwen als:
Vorm
Materiaal
Techniek
Waarneming
Ruimte
Communicatie
En wat nog?
Kunstenaar
Onderzoeker
Performer
Samenspeler
Unieke ik
Vakman
Antoinette
schreef een heel mooi gedicht, dit werd voorgedragen speciaal voor de nieuwe
eerstejaars:
Antoinette a écrit un très beau poème, qui a été nominé pour la nouvelle
recrue :
¥In VogelVlucht¥
Een Vensgedicht Voor een Voorspoedig
Eerste Jaar
Vele
Vormen Vliegen Voorbij…
Voelend
en Vattend in Verloren klei,
Vinden
Vormen Vreugde !
Sommige in
Voorbijgaande Vlucht,
maar, niet
Verdwazen of Vervloeken
gewoon
Voort, Voort
Voordurend
Voort - doen.
Verloren
Voorwerpen Vinden
Vanzelf hun
weg wel weer terug....
Vloeiende
Vlakken, Volle Veelhoeken,
Verzachten,
Verharden,
Vinden,
Verdwalen,
Het Vhoort
er allemaal bij….
maar dan,
als VanzelVe,
Vinden we
Vrijheid…
Vol
oVergaVe,
ons Verstand
Voorbij.
Uwe Vroeders
en Vrusters Van het BeeldVouwen
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