Resin sculpture
In sculpture, as in other arts, several distinct sub-genres can be identified throughout history and continents. We can mention wood sculpture, nude sculpture, bronze sculpture, animal sculpture, or resin sculpture. The genre of sculpture is fundamentally characterized either by the themes of its castings or by the material used.
The use of resin as a medium is relatively recent in the history of art. It was not until the 20th century that sculptors gradually abandoned plaster or bronze casts in favor of this synthetic product. Resin is often used for sculpting portraits.
Resin has a number of advantages over other sculpting materials. Its chemical composition ensures a reasonable weight, which greatly facilitates transportation. It also has a great capacity to adapt to the various needs of creation and has strong resistance to environmental damage, whether it is inside or outside.
With this range of innovations, it has quickly become an essential material for modern sculpture. One of those who has been instrumental in popularizing polyester resin in the modern art world is Duane Hanson. The sculptor is one of the leading artists of hyper-realistic sculpture. He uses resin to make his casts directly on his models, whose chemical qualities allow him to reproduce the clothes, physiology and features of his models in minute detail. Rarely before had such a degree of fidelity of the represented subject been reached, and the merit of this is due, to some extent, to the revolution represented by the discovery of polyester resin.
If it is true that resin works wonders in the search for a faithful representation of nature, it is also true that this material was widely used in the sculptural art of the new realism, which resolutely frees itself from the need to be faithful to the physical characteristics of the model.
For example, the famous French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, whose real name was Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle, regularly used polyester resin to create her artworks, including her famous monumental female sculptures: the Nanas.
A recent scientific invention, resin has seduced a large number of sculptors, particularly in France, whether to accurately represent a model or to create hallucinated and pop figures.
Artsper presents a large collection of modern and contemporary resin sculptures by world-renowned artists such as Xavier Veilhan and Arman, as well as emerging artists such as Bernard Rives, Anne Juliette Deschamps and Maxime Davoust. The heterogeneity of these contemporary artworks is an eloquent testimony of the protean character of resin sculpture. Explore our selection to find the work that you'll love!
