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
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
La pieuvre boule - série sculpture animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 25 x 34 x 35 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 13.4 x 13.8 inch
£1,666
Queue de Baleine - Sculpture Raku animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 42 x 45 x 26 cm Sculpture - 16.5 x 17.7 x 10.2 inch
£1,089
Queue de Baleine - Sculpture Raku animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 34 x 24 x 14 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 9.4 x 5.5 inch
£889
Le Poisson - Sculpture Raku animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 17 x 40 x 12 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 15.7 x 4.7 inch
£720
Série les Krégins - Sculpture coquillage Raku
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 21 x 10 x 12 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 3.9 x 4.7 inch
£667
Série les Krégins - Sculpture coquillage Raku
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 13 x 13 x 10 cm Sculpture - 5.1 x 5.1 x 3.9 inch
£667
Série Les Mignons - Sculpture Raku animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 14 x 36 x 14 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 14.2 x 5.5 inch
£555
Série Les Mignons - Sculpture Raku animal marin
Naïg Oulhen dite AbeRaku
Sculpture - 16 x 23 x 7 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 9.1 x 2.8 inch
£444
Antoine Leclercq
Les Ballerines
Antoine Leclercq
Sculpture - 37 x 20 x 16 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 7.9 x 6.3 inch
£3,999
Equilibrium
Antoine Leclercq
Sculpture - 160 x 225 x 35 cm Sculpture - 63 x 88.6 x 13.8 inch
£15,108
Mon premier amour
Antoine Leclercq
Sculpture - 150 x 150 x 9 cm Sculpture - 59.1 x 59.1 x 3.5 inch
£13,331
Together that's all
Antoine Leclercq
Sculpture - 160 x 130 x 95 cm Sculpture - 63 x 51.2 x 37.4 inch
£15,108
Le baiser
Antoine Leclercq
Sculpture - 180 x 100 x 50 cm Sculpture - 70.9 x 39.4 x 19.7 inch
£15,997
Ilona Kálnoky
Teimuraz Sarishvili
Emotion
Teimuraz Sarishvili
Sculpture - 45 x 18.5 x 7 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 7.3 x 2.8 inch
£4,444 £3,777
Figure 4
Teimuraz Sarishvili
Sculpture - 66.5 x 22 x 13 cm Sculpture - 26.2 x 8.7 x 5.1 inch
£5,777 £4,910
Decorative Figures
Teimuraz Sarishvili
Sculpture - 64.7 x 16 x 11.5 cm Sculpture - 25.5 x 6.3 x 4.5 inch
£5,332
Abstraction 2
Teimuraz Sarishvili
Sculpture - 64 x 18 x 11 cm Sculpture - 25.2 x 7.1 x 4.3 inch
£4,888
Clea Lala
Olga Tobreluts
Yann Crenn
Constantin Ford
Flame Smokey
Constantin Ford
Sculpture - 76.2 x 17.78 x 20.32 cm Sculpture - 30 x 7 x 8 inch
£13,864
Flame Gunmetal
Constantin Ford
Sculpture - 137 x 30.48 x 33.02 cm Sculpture - 53.9 x 12 x 13 inch
£13,908
Fluid mirror
Constantin Ford
Sculpture - 60.96 x 17.78 x 20.32 cm Sculpture - 24 x 7 x 8 inch
£6,754
Fluid amber
Constantin Ford
Sculpture - 60.96 x 17.78 x 20.32 cm Sculpture - 24 x 7 x 8 inch
£11,242
Fluid Smokey
Constantin Ford
Sculpture - 121.92 x 30.48 x 33.02 cm Sculpture - 48 x 12 x 13 inch
£30,572
Corinne Maussang
SB
Ana Pérez Pereda
8 actos de genuflexión
Ana Pérez Pereda
Sculpture - 200 x 20 x 8 cm Sculpture - 78.7 x 7.9 x 3.1 inch
£1,066
Estudios de Secuencias diacrónicas
Ana Pérez Pereda
Print - 150 x 60 x 1 cm Print - 59.1 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
£3,608
Nueve secuencias en horizontal
Ana Pérez Pereda
Print - 31 x 145 x 1 cm Print - 12.2 x 57.1 x 0.4 inch
£2,044
El tiempo en las minas de Ojos Negros
Ana Pérez Pereda
Print - 134 x 121 x 1 cm Print - 52.8 x 47.6 x 0.4 inch
£7,910
Hilvanar el horizonte
Ana Pérez Pereda
Print - 70 x 192 x 1 cm Print - 27.6 x 75.6 x 0.4 inch
£7,554