Critics argue that fine art painting is more superior to sculpture.
All fine art travels in a lane all its own but there is something spectacular about sculpture, unduplicated by any other art form.
Sculpture is the pop-up book of fine art.
It is what jumps out of the artist with intricate detailing, intimidating attention to detail, and a command for the ability to bring thought into complete form.
Find out why your home, office, hotel, or courtyard can benefit from the distinctive character only sculpture brings.
“Sculpture is a parable in three dimensions, a symbol of a spiritual experience, and a means of conveying truth by concentrating its essence into visible form. … It must be the reflection of the artist who creates it and of the era in which he lives, not an echo or a memory of other days and other ways.”
―Malvina Hoffman
The point and power of sculpture
Scuplture has been telling and re-telling human history for centuries and civilizations. It has celebrated, it has marked milestones, it has been witness to and testimony of all that human beings can be proud of, and a lot of which it probably shouldn’t.
The artist who sculpts though, depending on their chosen medium is in fact tasked with a gargantuan feat to turn, brass, or stainless steel, or jade, or clay, or glass into a thing to behold.
To make what is mere neuronal Galaga or thought into a concrete bookmark in the story of human thought is not only an honor but demanding.
When it is all set and done it upgrades any room.
Sculpture has been pausing humans in time, literally for ages. When you drive past a museum set back from the thoroughfare and catch a glimpse of paper plane sculpture 6 or 7 times the size of you, you can’t help but marvel.
The most recognizable sculptures are still being honored in this 21st century: The Great Sphinx in Egypt, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, The Thinker and Venus de Milo in Paris, France are all testaments to human genius.
They symbolize, they honor, they recall, they show proof that something or someone existed. They characterize the metropolis and townships, and eras, just as much as courthouses, monuments, universities, city centers, brownstone lofts, dens, and mansion corridors.
Sculpture is both public and modern/contemporary and can enhance a space whether indoor or outdoor.
What can sculpture do to add interest to a room?
The answer is everything and anything.
Due to the 3D nature of sculpture, it has an uncanny ability to liven up a room.
A sculpture quickly turns your living quarters or space into more of an onion, than a flat drab chamber. All decor that enters into a space tells those who dwell in it how to be. Sculpture allows the space to tell a more energetic story and influence the area in deeper ways.
Depending on the colors and materials in the room, a sculpture can add any number of layers to bring a specific vibration to any given place. For instance, you may want a room to flow with playfulness or take on fantastical energy. An imaginative sculpture would offer that energy to the space. If you want to promote scholarship, the aforementioned The Thinker could do this.
The three-dimensional flare causes attention to focus on the sculpture and it begins to dictate the flow of energy. The sculpture is the centerpiece or springboard and this focal point or direction is the room’s GPS. The sculpture is then a starting point and an endpoint of reference and will influence all who enter.
A piece like The Duet works great for communal spaces, where the dominant energy should be towards togetherness, dependability, and interdependence. A jovial, light, nostalgic energy could be stirred up from Phil & Favio’s Robots, a dome stuffed with vintage toys.
Do you want all who pass through to feel relief and just relax? Gentle Repose has the most peaceful bend in the spine that almost forces you to exhale when you behold it. A sculpture like this may be fitting for a meditation room in a home, spa, or yoga studio.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
―Michelangelo
As Michelangelo states, every part of a sculpture is at some point attempting to set a thing free, be it an emotion, thought, action, or simply that a thing must exist.
Ways to display sculpture to inject character into your decor
Sculpture can make a room say a thousand words without a single voice.
Saatchi Art suggests a room revamp can be achieved by stacking sculptures against various decor in the room. Allow shorter pieces to contrast against the sculpture’s height such as an armchair or poof ottoman of say 4ft would contrast against a 6ft sculpture giving the room a new look and feel.
And if you really want to change the appearance of a room or the ambiance set when people walk into your home you may want to add a sculpture directly in the entryway leading from the front door along a runner heading to the foyer or living area.
If you prefer a minimalist look, empty space and large wall sculptures can complement a space especially if there is a stark contrast between the patterns and the sculpture medium such as steel against an oriental kilim or wood against a checked or vertical stripe patterned area rug.
Large sculpture can fill out the space without it being overbearing with knick-knacks or useless items.
You may even want to start your upgrade from outside with an outdoor fountain sculpture that could really compliment the home’s exterior.
Sculpture, adding character and conversation to your home
Sculpture has the uncanny ability to add character and conversation to every room.
If your space fills stiff and grim and you don’t want to do an entire demolition or DIY project, consider adding a sculpture to scale up your decor and create the sanctuary you’ve been missing.