Think:
Take a minute to consider why artists such as Michelangelo chose to sculpt his Moses from marble, or the early people of Ohio used earth to create the Serpent Mound, or why Marcel Duchamp decided to appropriate a urinal in order to declare it a work of art. Look carefully at the materials and the unique quality of the materials used by artists- ie., the durability of stone, the shininess of ceramic glaze, the flexibility of bronze, etc., and try to see what associations the artist may have had in mind when they chose the material or process. Would
Michelangelo’s work have been as effective were it made from clay?
Or Serpent Mound made from bronze? Duchamp’s from wood? How would that change the work? These are rhetorical questions using these examples, so you do not need to actually answer them.
But, as you think about these questions, it should help broaden your discussion to the materials of sculptures as you answer the following prompt:
Write: Choose two sculptures either from the textbook or famous sculptures from history.
Identify these sculptures by artist, title, date, and medium. Add images to your discussion. In your essay, consider the following for each sculpture you choose:
Identify and describe the sculpting process and materials used in the sculpture(s).
What do you feel are the associations the artist may have had in mind when sculpting from this material or process? Is there a cultural connection with the material or process?
Is there an historical connection with the material or process? Is there a specific tradition reflected in the materials used?
What does the material or process contribute to the overall meaning or your personal feeling of the sculpture?
Consider this sculpture if it had been made in a different medium. How might that change the reception (how the viewer views the sculpture) or meaning of the sculpture?
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