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
Oriol Texidor
Manufactura 3
Oriol Texidor
Photography - 40 x 50 x 7 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 2.8 inch
£1,120
Sèrie Albades. Albada 02
Oriol Texidor
Painting - 37.5 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 14.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch
£413
Immersió 051
Oriol Texidor
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch
£1,111
Manufactura 9
Oriol Texidor
Photography - 40 x 50 x 7 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 2.8 inch
£1,120
Léa Dedieu
La sieste - Nap in a 70's room
Léa Dedieu
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
£1,600
2 points de vus
Léa Dedieu
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.18 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
£169
Coquelicot flottant
Léa Dedieu
Photography - 60 x 45 x 3 cm Photography - 23.6 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch
£844 £760
Miroir - Necklace ou Grand Collier
Léa Dedieu
Design - 93.5 x 77.5 x 3 cm Design - 36.8 x 30.5 x 1.2 inch
£1,600
La vaillante à l'épine dans le pied
Léa Dedieu
Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch
£1,600
Sancko
Gaël Rouxeville
Socrate
Lovetrooper (stormtrooper)
Socrate
Sculpture - 30 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch
£1,422
Plastic Jesus
Eric Liot
Alben
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Oxalis IV
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 13 x 11.5 x 9 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 4.5 x 3.5 inch
£1,689
Recline - Aqua 1 - 25 novembre 2014
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Painting - 18 x 28.5 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.1 x 11.2 x 0 inch
£1,066
Les Amis d'Enfance II
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 18 x 10 x 6 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 inch
£1,511 £1,284
Axoliz I
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 20.5 x 9 x 9 cm Sculpture - 8.1 x 3.5 x 3.5 inch
£2,755
Les Amis d'Enfance I
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 18 x 10 x 6 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 inch
£1,511
Par-Delà II
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 7.5 x 18 x 10 cm Sculpture - 3 x 7.1 x 3.9 inch
£1,689
Oxalis VII
Vincent Champion-Ercoli
Sculpture - 11.5 x 13 x 6 cm Sculpture - 4.5 x 5.1 x 2.4 inch
£1,511
Amancio Gonzalez
Caleidoscopio
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 41 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture - 16.1 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch
£3,821
Deconstruccion II
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 65 x 51 x 20.5 cm Sculpture - 25.6 x 20.1 x 8.1 inch
£3,910
Deconstruccion I
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 51 x 52.5 x 20 cm Sculpture - 20.1 x 20.7 x 7.9 inch
£3,821
El ladron de perlas
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 34 x 31 x 32 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 12.2 x 12.6 inch
£3,466
Las tres columnas
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 53.3 x 15 x 65 cm Sculpture - 21 x 5.9 x 25.6 inch
£3,999
La primera piedra
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 28 x 10 x 13 cm Sculpture - 11 x 3.9 x 5.1 inch
£2,666
Icaro III
Amancio Gonzalez
Sculpture - 45 x 34.6 x 48.5 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 13.6 x 19.1 inch
£3,910
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Lletres de llibre
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 35 x 35 x 6 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 13.8 x 2.4 inch
£489
Fusta vermella
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 30 x 17 x 7 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 6.7 x 2.8 inch
£333
Cub brillant amb fusta
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 20 x 16 x 14 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 6.3 x 5.5 inch
£311
Escultura negre curvada
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 18 x 23 x 5 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 9.1 x 2 inch
£311
Fusta negra fina
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 30 x 17 x 16 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 6.7 x 6.3 inch
£311
Venus de La Zuda
Ferran Cartes Yerro
Sculpture - 27 x 27 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.4 inch
£311