How To Talk About Sculpture
Consider if the material is an advancement for that time (I. E. Oil paints) 3. Subject – what or who does it represent? 4. Method of sculpting? Additive Roding subtractive Michelangelo found object Decamp 5. Tyler/period? Regional satirical artist’s personal style (style of the workshop) 6. Point of view? WHY? (hint: you have to look at 8, 11, 12, 13 and 14 to answer this) Where was it originally? (see #13 and 14) *** 7. Composition – organization of forms (form: shape and structure, ad or ad)?
While the Sours can be divided equally traits down the center (axial symmetry) the Speedboater CANNOT. Yet, the Sparseness’s lines are based on a system of diagonals that help to create contraption tense -vassalage helping to create movement. Now look at the composition of both pieces. The Sours is both balanced and exhibiting axial symmetry, however the Speedboater is also balanced but NOT exhibiting axial symmetry as it is possible for a piece of art work to be balanced but not symmetrical. 9. Color if any?
Where was this sculpture originally? What does it do to the museum space that it currently occupies? How do you think it would have affected the space around it in its original position? 14. Intended use? Intention usually affects the space around it and is directly related to the “three AS” of shaping art that you will know and love by the end of the master: patronage, philosophy (including religion) and propaganda.
Now that you’ve done all that let’s READ the piece: 1 . How do the formal aspects relate to the school/style of the period, person or school? Outside sources? Do they follow suit or do they break free from the constraints and introduce something NEW? What does this mean? Was there some kind of advancement? Was there a new THOUGHT or belief system coming into play? 2. How do the formal aspects affect the feeling of the piece, how does it affect the view and the space around it? . How do the formal aspects reflect its purpose? . How do the formal aspects SHAPE the piece you are looking at? How does the artist CHOOSE to manipulate these formal TECHNIQUES to create meaning? 5. How do the “three AS” shape the formal aspects and in turn shape the piece and the artist’s methods of making the piece? This is only the beginning of the process. Use your own observations, relate all of the above to each other and READ your textbook in no time at all you will develop the skills to deconstruct and talk about sculpture.
