As painter Ad Reinhardt irreverently explained, a sculpture is a three-dimensional work of art. While two-dimensional artwork (paintings, drawings, prints) may suggest the illusion of space, sculpture occupies actual space. Sculpture can either be freestanding (also called “in the round”) or relief. Freestanding sculpture is surrounded by space on all sides—in other words, you can walk around it. Relief sculpture consists of manipulated material projecting from a flat background. Westermann primarily created freestanding sculpture.
The earliest known works of sculpture date from about 32,000 B.C. Early sculpted figurines of people and animals were carved in bone, ivory, or stone, or formed out of clay to increase fertility or to ensure a good hunt. In later years sculptors honored royalty and the dead by creating portraits and monuments out of durable materials such as stone or bronze. Today, sculptors use a wide range of media—from the more traditional stone and wood to found objects such as linoleum, bottle caps, and mirrors.
Sculptors primarily use four basic techniques. Some of the processes are subtractive (material is removed) while others are additive (material is added).
Carving: Carving involves cutting or chipping away a shape from a mass such as stone, wood, or other hard material. Carving is a subtractive process that eliminates material from the outside in. An example of a carved work of art is Antimobile.
Casting: In sculptures that are cast, a melted-down metal (or other liquid substance) is poured into a mold to cool and harden. Casting is an additive technique. Westermann used casting in Dismasted Ship.
Modeling: Modeled sculptures are created when soft or malleable material (such as clay) is built up and shaped. Modeling is an additive process.
Assembling: To create an assemblage, sculptors gather and join different materials. Assembling is an additive process and is the technique Westermann used to combine found objects with original items that he carved and cast. An example of assemblage is Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Were an Idea.
Below are some questions to guide you and your students as you examine sculptures and analyze their visual form and meaning.
- Move around the sculpture. Look at it from all angles.
- Consider the medium. What sculpting process(es) did the artist employ?
- How does the artist’s choice of material(s) add to the visual appeal of the sculpture?
- What effect does medium have on the subject of the sculpture?
- If you could touch the sculpture, what textures would you feel?
- What is the size of the sculpture?
- If you were in the presence of the sculpture, what impact would its size have on you? (Hint: If the sculpture is very large, do you think it would be overpowering?)
- If the sculpture is placed on a base or pedestal, how does this affect how you view it? How would the overall effect differ if the sculpture were placed directly on the floor? If there is no base, do you look down upon the sculpture?
Sculptures
Dismasted Ship, 1956
Antimobile, 1965
Memorial to the Idea of Man If He
Was an Idea, 1958
Mad House, 1958
Angry Young Machine, 1959
Walnut Box, 1964