Sculpture Vocabulary

Art that appears to contain few or no recognizable or realistic forms from the physical world.

A

Any sculpting process in which material is steadily built up to produce the finished figure.

A

A skeleton-like framework that gives rigid internal support to a modeled sculpture.

A

Sculpture created by combining many elements—especially found objects—into a complete work of art.

A

A portrait sculpture representing a person's head and neck, and possibly their shoulders, upper chest, and upper arms.

B

A subtractive sculpting process: starting with a solid block, the sculptor removes material using chisels and other tools to 'reveal' the finished form. Traditional materials include stone (especially marble) and fine-grained woods.

C

Reproduction of a piece of sculpture by means of a mold. The original piece is usually of a less durable material than the reproduction.

C

A sculpture made by joining together various components of various materials or of the same substance.

C

Of or relating to the human figure.

F

An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume.

F

An artistic genre of temporary or permanent 3-D works that are often site-specific and designed to transform a viewer's perception of a space.

I

Description of a sculpture that is designed to move. The movement can be driven by interaction with the viewer, or automatically using motors or air currents.

K

The material or technique used by an artist to produce a work of art.

M

A balanced arrangement of thin rods or stiff wires with objects suspended from them. The entire sculpture hangs from a filament and is moved by air currents.

M

A sculpture technique in which a three-dimensional form is manipulated in a soft material such as clay or wax.

M

Identical segments used to create a form.

M

A hollow or negative container that gives its form to a substance poured into it.

M

The empty space in and around an object that helps define the sculpture.

N

Surface areas defined by abrupt variations of direction.

P

A sculpture in which the forms project from a flat background, usually attached to the wall of a building.

R

A three-dimensional work of art, or the art of making it.

S

A three-dimensional form of a person or animal sculpted, carved, modeled, or cast in any material, usually an entire figure.

S

Any sculpting process involving the removal of some materials.

S

Any method of working with art materials to produce an art object.

T

Having, or appearing to have, height, width, and depth.

T