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
Hom Nguyen
Simone Veil
Hom Nguyen
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
$14,589
Kid
Hom Nguyen
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$14,589
Woman
Hom Nguyen
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$11,083
La Paix
Hom Nguyen
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
$14,589
Chanoir
Black Minous
Chanoir
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.001 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$1,357
Yoann Merienne
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
$1,470
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
$62
Michael Grine
Fingernails
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 9 x 0.1 inch
$300
Planet Earth
Michael Grine
Painting - 60.5 x 121.4 x 5.4 cm Painting - 23.8 x 47.8 x 2.12 inch
$1,500
Sunshine of Your Love
Michael Grine
Sculpture - 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Sculpture - 16 x 20 x 0.1 inch
$300
Cardog
Michael Grine
Fine Art Drawings - 22.9 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$300
Stoz
Capocci
Bearbrick
Jean-Michel Basquiat #5 100% & 400% Set
Bearbrick
Design - 28 x 11 x 5 cm Design - 11 x 4.3 x 2 inch
$249
Jean-Michel Basquiat #11 100% & 400% Set
Bearbrick
Design - 28 x 11 x 5 cm Design - 11 x 4.3 x 2 inch
$221
Jackson Pollock (v3) splash 400% & 100%
Bearbrick
Design - 28 x 10 x 10 cm Design - 11 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch
$520
Hiro Ando
Majestic nishikigoi in metal splendor : aqueous grandeur azure
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 80 x 75 x 100 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$27,141
Love In Shades Of Black And Blue : Nocturnal Embrace
Hiro Ando
Painting - 110 x 110 x 3 cm Painting - 43.3 x 43.3 x 1.2 inch
$5,089
Yuki u : shadows of solitude in the dawn
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 120 x 60 x 5 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 23.6 x 2 inch
$11,309
Trilogy Samuraicat Blu, Sumocat Orange, Urbancat Pink : Feline Odyssey
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 28 x 73 x 20 cm Sculpture - 11 x 28.7 x 7.9 inch
$19,225
Majestic nishikigoi in metal splendor : aqueous grandeur scarlet
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 80 x 75 x 100 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$27,141
Majestic nishikigoi in metal splendor : aqueous grandeur silver
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 80 x 75 x 100 cm Sculpture - 31.5 x 29.5 x 39.4 inch
$27,141
“Ephemeral crests: oceans of time” – Homage to hokusai’s legacy 1
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 40 x 50 x 50 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 19.7 x 19.7 inch
$23,749
Satomi n : whispers of resilience in the veiled abyss
Hiro Ando
Sculpture - 120 x 60 x 5 cm Sculpture - 47.2 x 23.6 x 2 inch
$11,309
Philippe Pasqua
Vanité aux papillons
Philippe Pasqua
Sculpture - 22 x 48 x 48 cm Sculpture - 8.7 x 18.9 x 18.9 inch
$15,832
No title
Philippe Pasqua
Photography - 200 x 156 x 1 cm Photography - 78.7 x 61.4 x 0.4 inch
$22,618
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
$31,665
No title
Philippe Pasqua
Photography - 200 x 156 x 1 cm Photography - 78.7 x 61.4 x 0.4 inch
$22,618
No title
Philippe Pasqua
Photography - 170 x 140 x 0.5 cm Photography - 66.9 x 55.1 x 0.2 inch
$15,832
Yrak
La Porte Au Fond Du Couloir
Yrak
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
$4,750