What is sculpture?
The word sculpture originates from the Latin word sculpere, which means "to carve". It can be defined as the art or practice of creating three-dimensional forms or figures. Sculptures can be free-standing or "in the round" (able to be viewed from all sides) or they can be in relief (form is carved or modeled from a flat background plane). They can be made of almost any organic or inorganic substance. Common materials include bronze, plaster, clay, wood, papier maché, and plastic. The processes involved in creating sculptures date back to antiquity and, until the twentieth-century, have changed very little. However, the twentieth-century has brought new ideas, techniques, and materials to the art of sculpture, making them even more common to encounter in our everyday lives.For thousands of years mankind has been using sculpture as a primary means of expression. In fact, long before the first record of history was recorded, sculpture was being used by primitive civilizations to document the world in which they lived. Sculpture was often used to represent any number of occurrences in people's lives, from documenting the passage of time, to environmental changes. Sculpture was also used to represent societal concerns, such as religion, politics, and morality.
Sculpture has long been one of the most popular forms of fine arts. In fact, sculpture was considered an art form long before patrons of the art saw an inherent beauty in the other types of arts, such as drawing. Sculpture was believed to be one of the best representations of human form and as such was viewed as the ultimate artistic creation.
Sculpture as an art will continues to grow in popularity because the nature of sculpture has continued to evolve over time. The subject matter of sculpture has never remained stagnate but has always found a new and varied subject or theme which was previously unused.
Perhaps the popularity and apparent fascination of sculpture will never be explained. However, it is apparent that the artistic medium of sculpture is unique. Above all, sculpture allows the artist to have an intimate relationship with the work being created.
