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
Alec Monopoly
Aspen Snow Day (EA, hand-embelished)
Alec Monopoly
Print - 78.74 x 55.88 cm Print - 31 x 22 inch
£6,253
Monopoly Carrying 2 Money Bags
Alec Monopoly
Painting - 90 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch
£26,350
SISC
Harmony in Hues - Custom guitar
SISC
Sculpture - 84 x 31 x 8.89 cm Sculpture - 33.1 x 12.2 x 3.5 inch
£3,484
Liu Bolin
Hiding in the city, Paris - n°14, Pharmacy
Liu Bolin
Photography - 90 x 120 cm Photography - 35.4 x 47.2 inch
£12,952
Hiding in the city - Sleeping Lion
Liu Bolin
Photography - 68 x 90 cm Photography - 26.8 x 35.4 inch
£189,631
Hiding in the city - A family with unified thought
Liu Bolin
Photography - 60 x 90 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 inch
£10,987
Hiding in the city - Screen in rest
Liu Bolin
Photography - 90 x 120 cm Photography - 35.4 x 47.2 inch
£12,952
Hiding in Paris - Grand Palais
Liu Bolin
Photography - 63 x 80 cm Photography - 24.8 x 31.5 inch
£9,825
Hiding in Italy - Piazza di Spagna
Liu Bolin
Photography - 68 x 90 cm Photography - 26.8 x 35.4 inch
£10,987
Philippe Pasqua
Vanité aux papillons
Philippe Pasqua
Sculpture - 22 x 48 x 48 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 18.9 x 18.9 inch
£12,505
No title
Philippe Pasqua
Photography - 170 x 140 x 0.5 cm Photography - 66.9 x 55.1 x 0.2 inch
£12,505
Grande vanité aux papillons
Philippe Pasqua
Fine Art Drawings - 160 x 160 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 63 x 63 x 1.6 inch
£25,010
Vanité (crâne aux paillons)
Philippe Pasqua
Sculpture - 25 x 25 x 20 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 9.8 x 7.9 inch
£22,331
Nando Kallweit
Joanna Glazer
Fountain of Youth
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Dancing above the Fire
Joanna Glazer
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Siegfried in "Swan Lake" with Typha Latifolia
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 100 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Dancing inbetween Blue Sparks and Sunflowers
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 100 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
I Saw "Nutcracker", Beautifully Revisited, and Saw It to Be a Happily Ending "Romeo and Juliette" Version
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Bird of Fire, in Four Versions of Diaghilev
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Rehearsing Some Steps Before
Joanna Glazer
Painting - 100 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch
£438 £219
Nasty
Sylvie Guyomard
Lithosphère III (SG90)
Sylvie Guyomard
Sculpture - 78 x 34 x 11 cm Sculpture - 30.7 x 13.4 x 4.3 inch
£1,518
Visaya 50/50/1 (2)
Sylvie Guyomard
Painting - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
£884
Désert sign Bleu X1
Sylvie Guyomard
Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch
£1,072
Desert Signe VII (SG176)
Sylvie Guyomard
Sculpture - 72 x 52 x 3 cm Sculpture - 28.3 x 20.5 x 1.2 inch
£491
Accumulation XVI (SG120)
Sylvie Guyomard
Painting - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch
£1,251
James Chiew
Lionel le Jeune
Aigrette en Camargue derrière des barbelés
Lionel le Jeune
Painting - 37 x 55 x 2 cm Painting - 14.6 x 21.7 x 0.8 inch
£1,161
Etude urbaine
Lionel le Jeune
Fine Art Drawings - 14.5 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
£49
André Saraiva
Le chocolat des français
André Saraiva
Fine Art Drawings - 16 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6.3 x 7.9 x 0 inch
£1,072
Mr. A & Miss A (Uncut Love Edition)
André Saraiva
Print - 99.06 x 68.58 x 0.2 cm Print - 39 x 27 x 0.1 inch
£1,518
Polaroid 600 Mr. Love Cam Edition
André Saraiva
Sculpture - 15 x 12 x 10 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 4.7 x 3.9 inch
£581
Love Rug - Standard Edition
André Saraiva
Print - 90 x 90 x 3 cm Print - 35.4 x 35.4 x 1.2 inch
£2,188
10th Anniversary
André Saraiva
Fine Art Drawings - 27 x 18.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.6 x 7.3 inch
£1,786