Sculptors
A sculptor is someone who creates sculptures. The broad term 'sculptor' does not only apply to artists, it can also be used in non-artistic contexts. For example, it may refer to someone working on a restoration site or creating replicas of existing sculptures. For a sculptor to also be defined as an artist, there needs to be a sense of artistic intention behind the objects they create. This person can be a professional or an amateur.
Sculpture is considered a major artistic discipline in the same way as painting. Some sculptors only work in the medium of sculpture while other artists have a multidisciplinary approach.
A sculptor seeks to create three-dimensional shapes out of one or several media. Sculptors can choose from a variety of materials for their sculptures. Some of the most frequently used media include stone (marble, granite etc), concrete, cement, wood and clay (which is used to create terracotta sculptures). Artists can also use metal to create sculptures, bronze has historically been the most commonly used but nowadays, sculptors can also choose aluminum or even steel.
Contemporary practices and technical developments have led to a growing diversity of materials being available for sculptors to use. Contemporary sculpture therefore uses a wider range of materials than modern sculpture did. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see artworks made of resin, glass or a combination of several different materials. Artists may also use new technologies such as 3D printers to help them create works.
Over the course of the history of sculpture, there have been a many different types of sculptures and artists have developed numerous techniques for creating three dimensional works.
In relief sculpture, the sculpted form stays attached to the background made of the same material. If the carving is shallow then the work is referred to as a bas-relief. If there is some undercutting and more of 50% of the depth is shown, the work is sculptured in high relief.
If a sculpture is described as in the round or free-standing, it means that the work is detached from the background, in the majority of cases this means that the viewer to walk around it and admire it from all angles.
A key basic distinction is sculpture is the contrast between modeling and carving. Modeling is an additive technique which creates forms by adding more material. This is more flexible for sculptors as they can generally add or subtract the material as they please, for example as they would when using clay. Carving is a subtractive method; the sculptor removes material from a solid block of material, for example wood or marble, to reveal the desired shape.
Some of the greatest artists in the history of sculpture include: Michelangelo, Antoine-Louis Barye, Rembrandt Bugatti, Camille Claudel, Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Cesar, Arman, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Orlinski and Christophe Charbonnel.
Discover the styles & movements
Gergana Ivanova
Love on the TV Screen
Gergana Ivanova
Sculpture - 15 x 17 x 22 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 6.7 x 8.7 inch
£447
Small Love in Green I
Gergana Ivanova
Sculpture - 10.5 x 16 x 2 cm Sculpture - 4.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inch
£197
Betsy Enzensberger
Michadu
Il n'y voit que du bleu
Michadu
Sculpture - 67 x 16 x 37 cm Sculpture - 26.4 x 6.3 x 14.6 inch
£1,611 £1,369
Moi aussi je suis fragile
Michadu
Sculpture - 86 x 32 x 34 cm Sculpture - 33.9 x 12.6 x 13.4 inch
£1,879
Le Guerrier A La Barbichette
Michadu
Sculpture - 56 x 32 x 21 cm Sculpture - 22 x 12.6 x 8.3 inch
£1,253
Raymond Poulet
Les gardiens de Khéops
Raymond Poulet
Painting - 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch
£9,845
Les Violons Engloutis
Raymond Poulet
Sculpture - 21 x 41 x 23 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 16.1 x 9.1 inch
£7,070
Les Vagues Blanches
Raymond Poulet
Painting - 81 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
£12,619
Esterio Segura
Goodbye my love 4 (Red)
Esterio Segura
Sculpture - 81 x 25 x 15 cm Sculpture - 31.9 x 9.8 x 5.9 inch
Sold
Goodbye my Love 5 (Black)
Esterio Segura
Sculpture - 14 x 44 x 7 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 17.3 x 2.8 inch
Sold
Casey Waterman
When You Love Someone. From the Origin series
Casey Waterman
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 182.9 x 3.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 72 x 1.25 inch
£1,991
Boobs, From the Series “Why This Restlessness?”
Casey Waterman
Print - 101.6 x 127 x 0.3 cm Print - 40 x 50 x 0.1 inch
£996
Tennis, Hand Stitched Canvas, Cherrywood Frame
Casey Waterman
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 2 inch
£996
Swing, Hand Stitched Canvas, Cherrywood Frame
Casey Waterman
Sculpture - 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Sculpture - 20 x 16 x 2 inch
£996
Red Ball, From the Series “Why This Restlessness?”
Casey Waterman
Print - 101.6 x 127 x 0.3 cm Print - 40 x 50 x 0.1 inch
£996
Lawn, Hand Stitched Canvas, Cherrywood Frame
Casey Waterman
Painting - 45.7 x 35.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 18 x 14 x 0.1 inch
£996
Coat, From the Series “Why This Restlessness?”
Casey Waterman
Print - 127 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Print - 50 x 40 x 0.1 inch
£996
Nicolas Kennett
The universe is devouring
Nicolas Kennett
Sculpture - 20 x 35 x 25 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 13.8 x 9.8 inch
£3,490
Carnival of souls
Nicolas Kennett
Sculpture - 40 x 35 x 15 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 13.8 x 5.9 inch
£3,132
Ugo Carrega
La necessità di sentirmi io per sopravvivere
Ugo Carrega
Painting - 116 x 88 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 34.6 x 0.8 inch
£2,500
Interrogatorio quotidiano
Ugo Carrega
Painting - 100 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch
£3,000
Infatti...non so cosa dire !
Ugo Carrega
Sculpture - 30 x 30 x 8 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch
£2,000
Jessica Houston
Perceptible Changes Over Time
Jessica Houston
Print - 56 x 84 x 2 cm Print - 22 x 33.1 x 0.8 inch
£1,659
Rock Has No Tongue
Jessica Houston
Sculpture - 99.1 x 38.1 x 29.2 cm Sculpture - 39 x 15 x 11.5 inch
£5,310
Ideas in Things (Antarctic Peninsula)
Jessica Houston
Photography - 121.9 x 182.9 cm Photography - 48 x 72 inch
£6,444
The fatigue of the conquest
Jessica Houston
Fine Art Drawings - 25.4 x 35.6 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10 x 14 x 1 inch
£1,253
If Held To The Light
Jessica Houston
Painting - 51 x 51 x 2 cm Painting - 20.1 x 20.1 x 0.8 inch
£2,595
Catherine Clare
Couple d'aras rouges du Costa Rica
Catherine Clare
Painting - 73 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
£1,432
Le jaguar du Costa Rica, N°1
Catherine Clare
Print - 35 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 13.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch
£313
St Francis Giving his Mantle to a Poor Man
Catherine Clare
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
£761 £685
The female egg
Catherine Clare
Sculpture - 10 x 24 x 30 cm Sculpture - 3.9 x 9.4 x 11.8 inch
£582 £524
Toucans, ara rouge et colibris du Costa Rica
Catherine Clare
Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
£1,342
"Pura Vida" , Vie pure, abstraction inspirée de Joan Miró
Catherine Clare
Painting - 46 x 38 x 2.5 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 1 inch
£1,163
Le jaguar du Costa Rica, N°3
Catherine Clare
Print - 35 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 13.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch
£313
Guillaume Lachapelle
Extrapolation 4
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 22.9 x 17.8 x 10.2 cm Sculpture - 9 x 7 x 4 inch
£1,700
Extrapolation 2
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 21.1 x 17 x 7.1 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 6.7 x 2.8 inch
£1,700
Untitled
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 10.2 x 21.6 x 8.9 cm Sculpture - 4 x 8.5 x 3.5 inch
£2,058
Extrapolation 6
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 8.9 x 21.6 x 6.4 cm Sculpture - 3.5 x 8.5 x 2.5 inch
£2,058
Extrapolation 7
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 14 x 20.1 x 8.9 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 7.9 x 3.5 inch
£2,058
Extrapolation 5
Guillaume Lachapelle
Sculpture - 19.1 x 15 x 9.9 cm Sculpture - 7.5 x 5.9 x 3.9 inch
£2,058