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
Josep Riera i Arago
Night Airplane
Josep Riera i Arago
Painting - 52 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 20.5 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
$6,698
Airplane on boat
Josep Riera i Arago
Sculpture - 98 x 91 x 18 cm Sculpture - 38.6 x 35.8 x 7.1 inch
$13,395
Colleen Wolstenholme
Untitled from the series Shifty Packets
Colleen Wolstenholme
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 36 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 14.2 inch
$900
Matrix Index 1 / Black
Colleen Wolstenholme
Sculpture - 66 x 66 x 6 cm Sculpture - 26 x 26 x 2.4 inch
$1,786
Untitled
Colleen Wolstenholme
Fine Art Drawings - 43 x 36 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.9 x 14.2 x 1.6 inch
$1,300
Untitled from the series Shifty Packets
Colleen Wolstenholme
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 36 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 14.2 inch
$900
Matrix Index 4 / Yellow
Colleen Wolstenholme
Sculpture - 66 x 66 x 8 cm Sculpture - 26 x 26 x 3.1 inch
$1,786
Untitled from the series Shifty Packets
Colleen Wolstenholme
Fine Art Drawings - 48 x 61 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.9 x 24 inch
$1,600
Untitled from the series Shifty Packets
Colleen Wolstenholme
Fine Art Drawings - 48 x 61 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.9 x 24 inch
$1,600
Matrix Index 2 / Gold
Colleen Wolstenholme
Sculpture - 66 x 66 x 8 cm Sculpture - 26 x 26 x 3.1 inch
$1,786
Perrotte
Carl White
The Blind Men and The Elephant
Carl White
Painting - 36 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 14.2 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,211
Isis Bi-M
Tom Wesselmann
New Bedroom Blonde Doodle
Tom Wesselmann
Print - 76.2 x 88.9 x 1 cm Print - 30 x 35 x 0.4 inch
$29,500
Monica with a Purple Hat
Tom Wesselmann
Sculpture - 10.2 x 12.7 x 1.3 cm Sculpture - 4 x 5 x 0.5 inch
$75,000
Monica Nude with Yellow Curtain
Tom Wesselmann
Print - 37.8 x 43.8 x 0.1 cm Print - 14.9 x 17.2 x 0 inch
$12,279
Bedroom blonde doodle with photo
Tom Wesselmann
Print - 61.875 x 71.5 x 2 cm Print - 24.4 x 28.1 x 0.8 inch
$42,500
Pierre-Yves Trémois
Sommeil Baigné de Grâce
Pierre-Yves Trémois
Print - 75 x 56 x 0.3 cm Print - 29.5 x 22 x 0.1 inch
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Flu
Franck Scala
Arjan Boeve
Reflexions on Mickey Mouse
Arjan Boeve
Sculpture - 202 x 92 x 12 cm Sculpture - 79.5 x 36.2 x 4.7 inch
$19,535