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Sculpture as an Art - July/Aug 1997

During my affiliation with Northwest Stone Sculptors Association, I have been asked various questions by several memhers about the concept of sculpture and the sculPting process. I decided to answer some of these questions to the best of my knowledge in our newsletter.
First let's identify the meaning of sculpture itself. The word "sculpture" comes from the Latin word "sculpto" which means carving. The contemporary meaning of sculpture is broader than that. Sculpture has become the art of carving, modeling or assembling some kind of permanent material into a three-dimensional work of art. Sculpture mainly has depicted humans, animals, and objects. The key words in this definition - work of art • are what separates fine sculpture from craft and functional art. It does not mean that a work of art carmot be incorporated into functional art.
Several types of sculpture depend on the relationship of the first two dimensions to the third dimension. If all three dimensions of the sculpture are equal and represent the same relationship as in real life, it is called round sculpture. If the sculpted image is attached to any surface, it is called relief. There are no specific rules how deep a relief should be. However, depending on the scale of the third dimension to the other dimensions, it can be classified as a high relief (1 to 1 to 1), medium relief (around 0.5 to I to I) or low relief (up to 1/4 inch height from the snrface of background). When the third dimension was not considered important, sculpture gave life to several applied arts, such as coinage, chasing metals, ornamenting and inlaid work.
Since art began, the human being remains its main theme, From century to century, human life, appearance and man's activities were reflected in art. An aspiration to capture man's charm, beauty and inttinsic value begot so many of the noble and perfect works of art. The human body will continue to be a subject for sculptors. Its unlimited numbers of poses and motions provide constant sources of inspiration for the artist.
Any standing or sitting positions are not just a mechanical combination of tension and relaxation of muscles there is also a psychological aspect in them as well. Any psychological process, any reactions in the human brain to its surrounds have a specific reflection in body move· ment or position. There is always a correlation between human psychology, physiology and surrounds. Understanding of this concept along with deep knowledge of human anatomy allow many sculptors to express their own emotional concepts, feelings and philosophy through the depiction of the human body.
Artists are excited about animal forms, movements and appearances also. According to Auguste Rodin, "To any artist, worthy of the name, all in nature is beautiful, because his eyes, fearlessly accepting all ex1erior truth, read there, as in an open book, all the inner truth."
Sculpture is the most accessible type of art for the public and, becanse ofthat, it is one of the most important type of art. Done in permanent materials as stone or bronze, sculpture became part of mankind's history. It has become a messenger that passes the word of humanity from generation to generation.
There are three main stages of creating sculpture: modeling, molding and converting the sculpture into intermediate material like plaster and manufacturing it in a permanent material.
Modeling is the most common process to create sculpture. Modeling means creating three-dimensional forms out of modeling materials. As a result of applying specific modeling methods to a sculptural surface, the sculpted model obtains a chiaroscuro effect. Good modeling can create, as Rodin said, "a symphony in black and white " The main material for modeling is a clay (or other modeling materials based on clay such as a type of oil clay or wax itselt).
In contrast to painting, sculpture in clay done by the artist is not a final product yet because unfired clay is not a permanent material and a clay model cannot be preserved for a long period of time. The model should be converted to a hard material in order to preserve the design. The process involves several steps, depending on the final material chosen. Most often a sculptor converts the clay model into bronze or stone.
There are no recipes on how to sculpt but many methods can be useful for beginners and professionals. Composition is the key to the appearance of a sculpture. Good composition means the right relationship among the three dimensions of the sculpture and existence of the main line and mass, that subordiuates all other parts of the composition. It is supplemented by the clear contour of the sculpture that is readable from a distance and attracts attention from all around A good drawing helps improve the qnality of the sculpture. Each sculptor creates an image in hislher own way. During the process of sculpting, some features are selected and the rest ignored because they are not important from the artist's point of view or do not meet hislher philosophy and temperament. From the selection of the model up to finishing and installation, the sculptor shows hislher outlook. philosophy and interests. That is why we very often can say that artists express themselves through their art work.
There are several peculiarities in the sculpting process. The main goal of the process of sculpting is to represent an artistic image. In the process of creating a sculpture, the artist imprints his idea in drawing. It represents his idea of composition and the appearance of the sculptnre in a given environment. This is a first step in creating a sculpture. It is exttemely important to study composition and work it into the drawing especially for commission work when a client requests the sketch to see an artist's concept. This is a thinking process. When a fiual idea has been decided upon, the artist uses the sketch to evolve the idea into a clay scale model (maquette). Now our original idea is composed of three dimensions rather than just two. The next step is to enlarge it to final scale. The third step, in most cases, is making the mold and casting the model out of plaster. It is the artist's copy and serves as a master model. It is also an intermediate material between the clay model and a final product. The last step is converting a sculpture into permanent material such as stone, bronze (or another metal), wood, plastic, etc. to preserve the sculpture. A sculpture should be installed on a base.
As one can see from this short list, the artist has to have skills in several different crafts: the artist must have a good interpretation of casting and metal work, the molding process and molding materials, armature design, knowledge of mechanical tools. base design, construction and installation. All that work cannot be done in the kitchen. The sculptor needs a space for equipment and tools to create and manufacture the sculpture. (See my article "The ideal sculpture studio in January 1997 issue.)
The process of creating a sculpture depends on several different aspects. How large will the sculpture be? What material will be used for its manufacture? Where will it be installed - inside or outdoors? These questions should be answered during the first stages of the work. Each material requires a different design. Bronze is more forgiving for showing dramatic motions and indirectly supported masses. Stone requires a more monumental and stable composition. The scale factor dictates the type of composition and modeling methods.
Installation of three-dimensional outdoor art work is another main task. The sculptor must play an active role in all processes from choosing the location up to the installation itself. Usually outdoor sculPture is a focal point in the landscape. It becomes a part of the bigger composition that includes surrounding structures. trees or landscape and must be visible from different points of the area. The installation itself must be strictly sound and safe for people walking close or even climbing on the sculpture. By legislation. the sculPtor is responsible for the safety of the installation for the lifetime of the outdoor sculpture.
To be an artist is a privilege and brings the responsibility to serve the altar of humanity, truth and beauty -- the greatest hope of all times. It is a complicated and responsible position in society. " ... for the word artist. in its widest acceptance, means to me," according to Rodin, "the man who takes pleasure in what he does, .. and I completely agree with that.
I wish you all happy sculpting.
Sculpture ... has become a messenger thai passes the word a/humanity from generation to generation.
During my affiliation with Northwest Stone Sculptors Association, I have been asked various questions by several memhers about the concept of sculpture and the sculPting process. I decided to answer some of these questions to the best of my knowledge in our newsletter.

First let's identify the meaning of sculpture itself. The word "sculpture" comes from the Latin word "sculpto" which means carving. The contemporary meaning of sculpture is broader than that. Sculpture has become the art of carving, modeling or assembling some kind of permanent material into a three-dimensional work of art. Sculpture mainly has depicted humans, animals, and objects. The key words in this definition - work of art • are what separates fine sculpture from craft and functional art. It does not mean that a work of art carmot be incorporated into functional art. 

Several types of sculpture depend on the relationship of the first two dimensions to the third dimension. If all three dimensions of the sculpture are equal and represent the same relationship as in real life, it is called round sculpture. If the sculpted image is attached to any surface, it is called relief. There are no specific rules how deep a relief should be. However, depending on the scale of the third dimension to the other dimensions, it can be classified as a high relief (1 to 1 to 1), medium relief (around 0.5 to I to I) or low relief (up to 1/4 inch height from the snrface of background). When the third dimension was not considered important, sculpture gave life to several applied arts, such as coinage, chasing metals, ornamenting and inlaid work. 

Since art began, the human being remains its main theme, From century to century, human life, appearance and man's activities were reflected in art. An aspiration to capture man's charm, beauty and inttinsic value begot so many of the noble and perfect works of art. The human body will continue to be a subject for sculptors. Its unlimited numbers of poses and motions provide constant sources of inspiration for the artist. 

Any standing or sitting positions are not just a mechanical combination of tension and relaxation of muscles there is also a psychological aspect in them as well. Any psychological process, any reactions in the human brain to its surrounds have a specific reflection in body move· ment or position. There is always a correlation between human psychology, physiology and surrounds. Understanding of this concept along with deep knowledge of human anatomy allow many sculptors to express their own emotional concepts, feelings and philosophy through the depiction of the human body. 

Artists are excited about animal forms, movements and appearances also. According to Auguste Rodin, "To any artist, worthy of the name, all in nature is beautiful, because his eyes, fearlessly accepting all ex1erior truth, read there, as in an open book, all the inner truth." 

Sculpture is the most accessible type of art for the public and, becanse ofthat, it is one of the most important type of art. Done in permanent materials as stone or bronze, sculpture became part of mankind's history. It has become a messenger that passes the word of humanity from generation to generation. 

There are three main stages of creating sculpture: modeling, molding and converting the sculpture into intermediate material like plaster and manufacturing it in a permanent material. 

Modeling is the most common process to create sculpture. Modeling means creating three-dimensional forms out of modeling materials. As a result of applying specific modeling methods to a sculptural surface, the sculpted model obtains a chiaroscuro effect. Good modeling can create, as Rodin said, "a symphony in black and white " The main material for modeling is a clay (or other modeling materials based on clay such as a type of oil clay or wax itselt). 

In contrast to painting, sculpture in clay done by the artist is not a final product yet because unfired clay is not a permanent material and a clay model cannot be preserved for a long period of time. The model should be converted to a hard material in order to preserve the design. The process involves several steps, depending on the final material chosen. Most often a sculptor converts the clay model into bronze or stone. 

There are no recipes on how to sculpt but many methods can be useful for beginners and professionals. Composition is the key to the appearance of a sculpture. Good composition means the right relationship among the three dimensions of the sculpture and existence of the main line and mass, that subordiuates all other parts of the composition. It is supplemented by the clear contour of the sculpture that is readable from a distance and attracts attention from all around A good drawing helps improve the qnality of the sculpture. Each sculptor creates an image in hislher own way. During the process of sculpting, some features are selected and the rest ignored because they are not important from the artist's point of view or do not meet hislher philosophy and temperament. From the selection of the model up to finishing and installation, the sculptor shows hislher outlook. philosophy and interests. That is why we very often can say that artists express themselves through their art work. 

There are several peculiarities in the sculpting process. The main goal of the process of sculpting is to represent an artistic image. In the process of creating a sculpture, the artist imprints his idea in drawing. It represents his idea of composition and the appearance of the sculptnre in a given environment. This is a first step in creating a sculpture. It is exttemely important to study composition and work it into the drawing especially for commission work when a client requests the sketch to see an artist's concept. This is a thinking process. When a fiual idea has been decided upon, the artist uses the sketch to evolve the idea into a clay scale model (maquette). Now our original idea is composed of three dimensions rather than just two. The next step is to enlarge it to final scale. The third step, in most cases, is making the mold and casting the model out of plaster. It is the artist's copy and serves as a master model. It is also an intermediate material between the clay model and a final product. The last step is converting a sculpture into permanent material such as stone, bronze (or another metal), wood, plastic, etc. to preserve the sculpture. A sculpture should be installed on a base. 

As one can see from this short list, the artist has to have skills in several different crafts: the artist must have a good interpretation of casting and metal work, the molding process and molding materials, armature design, knowledge of mechanical tools. base design, construction and installation. All that work cannot be done in the kitchen. The sculptor needs a space for equipment and tools to create and manufacture the sculpture. (See my article "The ideal sculpture studio in January 1997 issue.) 

The process of creating a sculpture depends on several different aspects. How large will the sculpture be? What material will be used for its manufacture? Where will it be installed - inside or outdoors? These questions should be answered during the first stages of the work. Each material requires a different design. Bronze is more forgiving for showing dramatic motions and indirectly supported masses. Stone requires a more monumental and stable composition. The scale factor dictates the type of composition and modeling methods. 

Installation of three-dimensional outdoor art work is another main task. The sculptor must play an active role in all processes from choosing the location up to the installation itself. Usually outdoor sculPture is a focal point in the landscape. It becomes a part of the bigger composition that includes surrounding structures. trees or landscape and must be visible from different points of the area. The installation itself must be strictly sound and safe for people walking close or even climbing on the sculpture. By legislation. the sculPtor is responsible for the safety of the installation for the lifetime of the outdoor sculpture. 

To be an artist is a privilege and brings the responsibility to serve the altar of humanity, truth and beauty -- the greatest hope of all times. It is a complicated and responsible position in society. " ... for the word artist. in its widest acceptance, means to me," according to Rodin, "the man who takes pleasure in what he does, .. and I completely agree with that. 
I wish you all happy sculpting. 

Sculpture ... has become a messenger thai passes the word a/humanity from generation to generation.

Lock Your Dreams at Night - July/Aug 1997

Once upon a time a very dusty female in bib-overalls made a wish. She wanted to become a professional artist - not just make art (she already did that), but make it professionally. So one night she went to bed, and sometime during her sleep, she was visited by the Fairy Godmother of Visual Art, Jane Brown (James covers music only). Jane sprinkled her with some basalt dust (the stone of champions), and gave her a shove into professionalism.

 

Upon awakening, she ran to the mirror and 10 and behold there she was, looking just the same, but much more "professional". What to do now that her whole world had changed? She thought about all of the other "pros" she knew and admired and decided to follow in their chip trail. The very first thing she had to do was run to the nearest Kinko's and get business cards. Not just a few, but at least 500. The fact that, at the rate the public shows interest in buying art, her first run of cards would last approximately 17.2 years didn't phase her. She wasn't worried; she knew of other ways of getting rid of them. She could unload some on the last day at any symposium. After a big hug, who's going to say "No, thanks" to an extended card? And rumor had it one could quietly place stacks of them on any table at the Home Show. People pick up any paper product they come into contact with there.

 

Cards - now what? Numbers. She needed lots and lots of tax numbers. Hey it was great. She never had to make a dime, but could fill out state revenue, federal and city tax forms at any given moment. She now had a reason to keep every receipt, mark down every mile and amortize her rasps. The really terrific part was once she applied for one number, more came looking for her. Strange, it didn't necessarily work that way with her art, but hey, this proved that government takes a professional seriously.

 

Next she needed papers. Papers to prove she was qualified After referring to my brilliant essay in a previous issue on how to create the Artist's Resume, she sprinted to her word processor and began putting her life in print, remembering as she typed that art resumes don't work for getting real jobs, so she had to have at least two sets of papers with one looking "deeper" and more artistic than the other.

 

What good is a resume without a portfolio she thought? What fun, she could now purchase leather. Portfolios, however, require photos, unless of course you are talking about your slide portfolio, or your digital portfolio. So before she could decide which size, color, texture and fastening device her visual diary was going to have, she had to photograph her work.

 

Easy she thought, just break out the old instamatic and fire away. Silly girl; she was forgetting ever present "reality". Our gal needed a minimum of six cameras with tripods, forty lights, and twelve thousand background choices. She needed to plan on spending three days to take shots of just one piece. Galleries generally want color slides with seamless black backgrounds. The public wants color prints against whatever color "makes the sculpture sing". Publications require black and whites, except some newsletters which don't like it black or too busy behind the sculpture. Each piece - potentially three different films, several different back drops, five different angles. Move 'em, move 'em, move 'em.

 

Even with the equipment, she wasn't out of the old stone pile yet. There still was the dilemma for smaller indoor sculptors like herself as to whether or not to fall to the ground when taking a shot. This was not out of reverence, but to make the art work look really huge so people would take her work more seriously, or should she leave it in scale for actual sale's purposes?

 

Deciding what effects to use when taking her photos became a very serious and anxiety- provoking business. Was it really a good idea to have her pieces look much better in the photo than in person? But, she thought, people want drama with their art. If it wasn't huge how could she accomplish this? Then she remembered that's what those lights were for. Those lights were not just lights, they were PHOTO LIGHTS. They were so big and hot that your life expectancy drops just by owning them. You cannot look into them, touch them, or swivel them the wrong way, and if any body oil gets near the bulb, they will explode. But hell, they create great effects. Great until you have to sell the sculpture from a photograph you've taken where the work appears to glow as if by magic. She worried about the possible consequences when she had to tell a prospective buyer that, to have the piece actually look like the photo, they would also need to have a special niche or pedestal made, a black wall and/or room and they must buy PHOTO LIGHTS and tripods to place in front of, to one side, and for sure, in back of their purchase. But what the hell, it was worth the risk, they weren't dealing with any amateur here.

 

Once her photos were taken, she now got to buy the imported leather case for the prints which had to be blown up to at least 5"x7". She followed the advice that a minimum of 10 copies of each slide should be made so she could mail them all over the universe to contests and galleries. She got to rent that safety deposit box she'd always wanted but had had nothing of value to put in before. Now she had slides. Lots and lots of slides that needed protection so when she became famous she would have the original slide of each work of art in a safe place for the world to remember her by. If that never happened, well at least there'd be something in there for her heirs to divide. At this rate she certainTy wasn't going to have any money left.

 

The longer she worked at it, the more professional she got. She was ready for marketing now. Oh the possibilities. Brochures, videos, her 01"1 Web site, an agent perhaps. There was onTy one problem. Since her wish came true she never had any time left to make art anymore.

We May Be Calling You - May 1997

I'm looking for a job. I got divorced a few years ago after spending many years home screwing up two children. I called quits to wedlock knowing that I had absolutely no marketable skills to speak of and that my kids would now require money for therapy as well as the usual American Adolescent Paraphernalia.

 

Oh yes, I can carve - that covers approximately two pairs of Nikes for a year. I also was an office manager in a midsize law firm for eight years - bookkeeping, personnel, hiring, firing, mothering, etc. But somewhere in the last decade someone decided that it took a masters degree to throw Pitney-Bowes salespeople out of an office. I worked at the Westin in my youth. I was not asked to leave, but got tired of telling Far Eastern tour groups that they had to stand in line to check out. Nordstrom didn't fire me, but did have a problem with my honesty when it came to telling customers they looked like hell in some of their merchandise. I used to do a mean impression of Nelson Eddy, but figured there wasn't much money to be made playing the nursing home circuit. So here I was, a middle-aged artist and basically unemployable. It was either find an old guy with bucks who was senile enough to want to take on all of my baggage or go back to school.

 

School seemed easier. They advised me that a woman of my age should go into nursing, dental hygiene or become a radiology tech. Well, anyone who has seen my hand shake knows I shouldn't be probing anyone's orifices with sharp objects, and I've been x-rayed myself so many times I glow in the dark, so I chose computer graphics at a community college.

 

I was terrified - I hated school when I belonged there. It took me two hours to realize there was nothing to fear. Go back to school. We old people are so smart compared to most of the kids, you will feel brilliant. I was the only one in class who had any idea what the word "asymmetrical" meant. Half the kids hadn't ever heard it and the other half didn't speak English. Now before you write, this is not a slur regarding immigration. All of these students are sent by wealthy parents from mostly Asian countries to get the American experience. They may all be brilliant, but because they can hardly speak our language, and don't intend to stay long, one never really gets to find out. One Japanese girl told me they were sent here because in their country they were taught all the information, but Americans were taught how to really think. She obviously had never met any American teenagers.

 

OK, so I found myself for three long years in the land of computer types and wannabes. Not all were young. It's very comforting to know that there are lots of unemployed old people. At least a third were displaced Boeing employees and graphic designers who woke up one day to find all paste boards, drafting tables and pens had been sucked into the nearest computer. I managed to fit in as much as I cared to, even though I didn't wear a baseball cap on backwards. Fitting in meant I knew how to swear in appropriate places, never was better dressed than when I carve stone, and never asked to see anyone's ill. My status really soared to new heights when one of the young guy's caps had "69" on it and I told him I knew what it meant. He dreamt about me later, he said.

 

After three years what am I now capable of doing? Beats the hell out of me. Yes, I have a fair grasp of the major computer art programs including 3-D modeling, but everyone knows that to really learn how to do a job, you have to do it - not theorize about it. So I need to get a job in an industry dominated by young, unattached people. People who can make up endless commercials, games, web pages all taking place in outer space or concrete mazes. Where will I fit in? I just don't think about robot-type humanoids zapping each other. I will admit I know the difference between a Klingon and a Bjoran, but I don't fantasize about them. Call me old-fashioned.

 

I kept asking why do these themes of planets and laser guns recur so often? One word - guys. Sorry, no male bashing intended, but they got there first. Young males made the whole thing up, so that's the way it started. Not only young guys, but engineer, mathematician type guys. Not a bad group, they just didn't design art programs for artists.

 

Take 3-D modeling programs for instance. Let me digress (even further?). Yes, there are software programs that can model anything, but they cost at least $50,000 and must be run on $150,000 machines. Not available at most schools or your neighborhood Kinko's. In the regular person's 3-D program, if you want to sculPt a horse, it's close to impossible. First try and read the manual. Without an advanced degree in geometry, throw the sucker out and just fiddle around. I quote from mine: "But if polygonal objects are generally considered the 'brute force' approach of modeling - even if mitigated by triangulation algorithms and surface normals for smoothing - bezier objects are elegant by comparison." Maybe I missed it, but did you ever read of Rodin referring to his triangulation algorithms. (Maybe he did and I just assumed it was some disease he had.) Hence, you have sculpting programs designed by left brain people for right brain people to figure out, that have nothing to do with sculpting.

 

Also, because the programs are based on geometry, everything is modeled using primitives. No, not half-clad Sun God worshippers. Cubes, cones, cylinders, and the ever-present sphere. What is easiest to make out of primitives? Things with balls - in this case planets, and things with cubes and cylinders - space stations or concrete mazes. The "people" have to be chunky or round too, therefore robots. (I know, I know, there are new programs for the human form remember this is my article.)

 

How do I know the mathematicians who designed these programs were young males and not female? Look at the animation defaults. Those are things the programs have been designed to do with only a little adjusting from you. In the 3-D program, they are atomize, bounce, shatter and explode. That's it. Never windhlown, grow, move, etc. Do these events sound like things most women wonld want to be able to animate at the touch of a mouse? Maybe I'm out of the loop but the girls and I hm'e never sat around at lunch saying ""Wouldn't it be way cool if we could go atomize some ball-like object after we lem'e here?" "Yeah! How small should we make the pieces, how far should they fall, and how fast?" Sorry, I'm not being fair. Maybe we hm-e. but "Kick" would be our action of choice.

 

Computer fine art muld be an option, but it still scares and disgusts many people. Let me assure you, computers are just another new tool for artists. New tools were often scorned Michelangelo might have abhorred the old compressor - why use something that replaces hot young assistants? Some Impressionist who spent hislher life using a brush to make dots, probably would have thought the airbrush a bit of a cop out, and don't forget Les Paul and his electric guitar scared the hell out of somebody, but they got over it. There is wonderful computer-generated art being created, but even so, those artists usually don't make much money either.

 

So, unless there's a Nelson Eddy revival before September, I'll use my ttaining in desktop publishing, computer graphics and creating web sites. The age requirements for these are a little more flexible. But if all else fails, I am not above cashing in on affirmative action. Being a "three-fer" by computer industry standards - ancient, female and hearing impaired, someone's bound to have a few quotas to fill.