Importance of Sculpture

Serena Cuoghi
Biology Teacher Title

As an artistic resource, sculpture allows: 1) the tangible and evident expression of the artists' ideas and emotions; 2) the exploration of materials and experimentation on their transformation techniques, guiding a process of permanent innovation; 3) the interaction with the environment through the transformation of physical spaces, giving essence and meaning to the settings in which a sculptural piece may be found; 4) the durability of the artistic sample over time, depending on the materials and techniques used; 5) the possibility of a real and sensitive physical interaction, beyond the visual, which guides towards the constant change of the viewer's perspective and experience in their encounter with the work; 6) historical and cultural preservation through tangible works that represent particular contexts immortalized with their public visibility; 7) the opportunity to pay tribute and commemorate the existence of historical figures with the sculptural representation of their image; and 8) the enrichment of public spaces and urban environments, in search of their beautification and the offer of moments of recreational contemplation that help improve the quality of life of the city ​​dwellers.

One of the forms of creation of artistic discourse that has generated the most impact throughout the history of humanity, being present in many others. all cultures, periods and regions, is sculpture, very possibly due to its own original nature of combining the tangible elements existing in the nature, with the figurative capacity of the human mind which makes possible the external visual representation of a discourse, which in turn has been creating its own language.

The art of multidimensional creation

On its broadest technical scale, sculpture guides towards a superior development of mental and manual skills, increasing the capacity for development. of the sculptor in all other areas of his life, thanks also to the increase in his ability to conceptualize experiences and knowledge, as a resource indispensable in the development of the complex artistic projects in which he usually immerses himself, with the demand for theoretical and practical technical challenges for which He must necessarily be willing to a permanent process of learning and improvement in the ways in which he explores, interprets and captures form, space and the resources.

The result of all this combination of factors necessary for the materialization of the work in sculpture is the narration of a story stroke by stroke, in each blow of the hammer. against the chisel, in each welding point, in each flash of the grinder, in each caress that modeled the clay, in all the pressure, force, heat, cuts and tears that had to be done. support the multiple materials that an artist can use when developing the visual discourse that will turn his message into a legacy within the cultural heritage of the society.

Therapeutics through the hands

The permanent challenge that sculpture represents, also as a way of life, gives it a character capable of linking with the deepest elements of the human essence, permeating the Being. and helping the inner search for that which may be found even hindering in the life of those who choose to allow themselves to be explored by their own work as they create it, becoming in a mirror that helps us transform into beauty the reflection of what otherwise no one could see inside us, a quality that is being increasingly valued in the areas of psychology, psychiatry, alternative therapies and even formal education, in order to take advantage of all these benefits to overcome multiple conflicts and traumas in the people.

Many times the creation of a work also requires the integration of other artists and participants, encouraging collaboration. artistic and the exchange of ideas, knowledge, techniques and experiences that generate authentic teamwork transdisciplinary.

Sculptural types and modalities

The diversity of styles and currents in art, added to the plurality of themes that can lead to a philosophical reflection that awakens the notion aesthetic of its contextualization projected in a sculpture, is as broad as the creative capacity itself can allow, therefore, from the most realistic work to the more abstract, there can be found an endless range of classifications in which to catalog a work, standing out among the most common types of sculptures. implemented:

1) shapes with round lumps that allow observation from all angles, such as David made in marble by Michelangelo;

2) bas-relief works achieved by carving and wearing flat surfaces, such as the Parthenon Frieze in Athens, which narrates fragments of Greek mythology;

3) the outstanding carvings due to high relief, such as the Gate of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti located in Florence;

4) kinetic works that incorporate movement as a main discourse, such as the works developed by Jesús Soto, Alejandro Otero and Alexander Calder;

5) the mural relief as an intervention on the large surfaces of the walls and architectural works, complementing them such as the relief on the Pergamon Altar in Berlin;

6) the assemblage through the aesthetic configuration of different materials and elements with their own identity, like what Picasso did in his Bicycle;

7) abstract figuration as one of the modalities most explored by sculptors of recent times.