How to Look at Sculpture

[Music] foreign there are sculptures all around us in Parks public spaces in architecture and even in nature but how should we look at sculpture to get the most out of our encounters here are our top tips to guide you in your exploration [Music] start by moving around the sculpture so that you can look at it from different angles and understand its overall shape or form [Music] is it made of one single element or multiple parts in Moore's multi-part sculptures the space between the forms becomes part of the artwork too consider whether the sculpture is abstract or representational or maybe a bit of both many of Moore's Monumental Works look entirely abstract but they were often inspired by objects from nature like bones stones and seashells other abstract sculptures are not based on objects in the real world instead they can be seen as explorations of imagined shapes and their presence in space representational sculptures focus on more identifiable subjects like the human body some Works May combine abstract and representational elements so that unfamiliar forms sit alongside more naturalistic details if you can work out what the sculpture is made of sculptures can be made of almost anything Moore used a wide variety of materials including stone wood bronze and even concrete but he was always careful to choose the best material for a particular idea he chose bronze for many of his Monumental sculptures because of its strength durability and Beauty imagine the sculpture in a different material like Stone plastic or wood would it have the same impact and would even be possible now take a closer look at the surface is it smooth or textured smooth surface can help to emphasize the tension in a figure's pose while a more textured appearance may suggest natural formations like Jagged boulders the surface may also provide clues as to how the sculpture was made these marks in the surface of double oval were made in the original plaster which was then cast in bronze take a moment to notice the color Moore's bronze sculptures are a variety of colors from brown to Green to gold Moore and his assistants carefully created these colors called patterners by applying different chemicals to the sculpture's surface the patina plays an important role in how we see the work it may Blend or contrast with its surroundings and either reflect light or absorb it if the sculpture is displayed Outdoors try to see it at different times of day or in different weather conditions light is essential to how we see sculpture and changes in its strengths and Direction can dramatically change a work's appearance strong light creates highlights and shadows that can enhance the work's three-dimensionality while softer light like on a foggy day can make a sculpture appear flatter the direction of the light whether it's coming from above below or from the side can also change the appearance of the work and hide or reveal subtle details think about the sculpture's setting is it in an urban environment or closer to Nature how does this affect the way you see it does it seem to blend in with its surroundings or does it stand out more sculptures can be seen in diverse settings around the world from big cities to Open Fields he also experimented with the placement of his sculptures in the land around his home at Perry green even constructing a small hill to cite one work seen from across the fields the dramatic sighting of large reclining figure enhances its monumentality and exemplifies Moore's belief that the sky is the perfect background for sculpture finally take your time the longer you look the more you'll see you could say that getting to know a sculpture is a bit like getting to know a person the more time you spend together the more you'll find out about them so pick a sculpture you really like make yourself comfortable relax and spend 10 minutes really looking you might be surprised what you see [Music]

Channel: Henry Moore Foundation

Views: 6,330

Keywords: sculpture, education, howto, henry moore, abstract sculpture

Id: DejHpS6o8DM

Length: 5min 7sec (307 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 22 2022