Sculpture artists biography

But before we dive into those illustrious names, what is contemporary sculpture? The transition of modern sculpture to contemporary sculpture coincides with the arrival of Minimal Art and Conceptual Art in the s and s. Both art movements would radically change the art worldand sculpture, in particular, introduced new materials, conceptual strategies, and the integration of ready-mades in the tradition of Marcel Duchamp.

Recurring general characteristics of contemporary sculpture consist of i the often post- conceptual foundation of the artwork; ii the use of sculptures artists biography iii the use of various industrial materials and techniques; iv the fading distinction between sculpture and installation art and v the often outsourcing of the manufacturing process by the artist.

As a result, we encounter a vast array of materials used in contemporary sculpture. The traditional materials—wood, marble, clay, or bronze — are still very frequently used. However, a new set of different materials has found its way to sculpture—think of PVC, stainless steel, concrete, foam, and much more—implementing industrial processes, engineering, and new technologies—for instance, 3D printing—resulting in new possibilities.

In this article, we are pleased to present the most extensive online resource on contemporary sculpture, with a reasoned selection of 30 highly established artists, ranked from 30 to 1 using the Artfacts algorithm measuring their influence and importance using objective data and career facts. If you would be interested in reading a more extensive and printed publication on contemporary sculpture, we highly recommend Sculpture Today by Judith Collins, published by Phaidon in Monk critiques and reacts to this tendency by re-examining and recasting existing artworks by iconic conceptual and minimal artists such as Sol LeWitt or Lawrence Weiner.

This symbolic and iconoclastic action perfectly illustrates how Monk achieves new, original and relevant artworks by revisiting sculpture from the recent past. Up next, we encounter Dan Graham. Born in in Illinois, residing and working in New York, the American artist is one of the most celebrated sculptors of his generation. Graham was a critical voice, contributing both as an artist and as a curator and essayist to the development of Conceptual ArtMinimal Artand Critique Art.

In his sculptural practice, Graham creates unique three-dimensional constellations, examining the symbiosis of architectural environments in relation to their inhabitants. His internationally lauded curved transparent structures using steel, glass, and mirrors are recognizable and can be implemented in almost any environment, whether a sculpture or an installation.

Ikemura is one of the most famous painters today and a leading sculptor. She turned to three-dimensional artworks in after painting for 30 years, mixing eastern and western sculptural traditions. Her weapons of choice are bronze, terracotta, and clay, with which she creates biomorphic forms and fragments of female subjects. In the tradition of Rodin, she creates semi-figurative sculptures, alternating abstract fragments with female forms.

Prouvost is a multidisciplinary artist, producing exquisite sculptures with a touch of humor, but above all, with a critical undertone. The French artist aims to create a dialogue between fiction and reality. The viewer is directly involved, as she addresses the spectator directly with her written messages in the tradition of Conceptual Art.

With her sculptural practice, she uses ready-mades or metal, creating her unique and recognizable stick figures.

Sculpture artists biography: Discover the most influential sculptor

Otobong Nkangaborn in in Kano, Nigeria, is a contemporary artist residing and working in Antwerp, Belgium. As with Laure Prouvost cf. Her sculptures and installations discuss the social and topographical relationships connected to our everyday environment. For further reading on Otobong Nkanga, we highly recommend the monographic publication Otobong Nkanga: Luster and Lucre.

Born in in Galati, Romania, Daniel Spoerri is a Swiss artist and writer occupied with sculpture, assemblage, and found objects. Spoerri creates assemblages of a group of objects in his sculptural practice. Most often, he captures plates, silverware, glasses, and even remains of meals in bronze. For further reading on Daniel Spoerri, we highly recommend the monographic publication Daniel Spoerri published in The contemporary artists bundled forces increating neo-conceptual artworks in a vast array of media, with sculpture being one of the more prominent mediums.

In their sculptures, we are challenged to rediscover reality.

Sculpture artists biography: Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, and

They focus on the seemingly banal. The body of his figures — most often produced in steel, aluminum, bronze, or wax — becomes a site and tool for the artist and viewer to explore. Next, we have one of the undoubtedly most important figures of the historical art movement of Minimal Art. Andre was a pioneer, luring sculpture into Minimal Art with his ingenious and ground-breaking body of works.

Arguably, Carl Andre is best known for his copper tiles, bricks, or stones, creating a geometric figure on the gallery floor. However, Andre has also produced many more three-dimensional sculptures, such as Thebes from see image above. The artist uses western red cedar wood to create a rhythm inside the gallery space with his seemingly simple yet refined minimal composition of wood blocks.

For further reading on Carl Andre, we highly recommend the monographic publication Carl Andre: Sculpture Next, we have one of the most famous artists in the world, Damien Hirst. Q [ edit ]. R [ edit ]. S [ edit ]. T [ edit ]. U [ edit ]. V [ edit ]. W [ edit ]. X [ edit ]. Xenokrates of Sicyon fl. Y [ edit ]. Z [ edit ].

Sculpture artists biography: Henry Moore pioneered a new vision

Lists of sculptors by nationality [ edit ]. His Papal commissions included the aforementioned works, as well as the tomb for Pope Julian II which includes his iconic carving of Moses and the design for the Laurentian Library at the Church of San Lorenzo. Twenty years after painting the Sistine Ceiling, he returned to the Chapel to create one of the greatest frescoes of the Renaissance: The Last Judgment.

Few artists are as identified with a particular style and era as Bernini is with the 17 th -century Italian Baroque. His work departed from the classical equilibrium cherished by the artists of the High Renaissance, focusing instead on a dynamic grandeur defined by fluid lines that depicted figures caught in the middle of a dramatic moment—most conspicuously in his signature work, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa ; it depicts the titular sculpture artists biography, wrapped in billowing fabric, experiencing a divine vision as if she were having an orgasm.

The father of modern sculpture, Rodin eschewed the smooth surface, classical form and allegorical subject matter that characterized academic sculpture in the 19 th century. His figures were roughly modeled, and often left evidence of his hand working the clay or plaster from which his iconic figures— The ThinkerThe Burghers of CalaisThe Kiss —were later cast in bronze.

His work anticipated Expressionism, as well as the notion of keeping true to materials, an idea that would become essential to modern artists. Eventually, his innovations would lead to abstract art, though Brancusi himself evoked recognizable subject matter in his sculptures, albeit in emphatically reductive fashion. He found inspiration in the ancient folk art traditions of his native Romania, from which borrowed many of his motifs.

Most critically he challenged the conventional notion of how sculptures interact with the space around them by blurring the line between the object and the base that supported it. In essence, Brancusi questioned the accepted wisdom on where a sculpture began and where it ended, pointing the way to the eventual development of installation art. When they think of him at all, most people remember Alberto Giacometti as the artist who created skinny figures, and indeed, these symbols of postwar angst are his signature achievements.

Born in Switzerland into a family of artists, Giacometti moved to Paris, in to study art in. His first acknowledged masterpiece, The Palace at 4 a. By his own admission, the work came out of a torrid love affair that consumed him for six months. Though, he tried to remain in Paris after the Nazi Occupation ina trip to Geneva to visit his mother left him in stranded there in exile after he was denied reentry into France.

He sat out World War II in a hotel room, where, working on a diminished scale necessitated by cramped surroundings, he began the sculptures that would later lead to his iconic oeuvre. Monochromatically painted in either black or white, these objects sometimes resembled a kind of labyrinthian cabinetry crammed with nooks, crannies and cryptic details.

His works, like the bronze David and the haunting Mary Magdalene, showcase his mastery of expression and anatomical precision, influencing generations of sculptors to come. Donatello, the bronze DavidBargello Florence; Rabe!

Sculpture artists biography: Isamu Noguchi (–) was one of

His profound understanding of human anatomy and profound spirituality reshaped the possibilities of sculpture and remains unparalleled in its grandeur and beauty. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Baroque virtuoso, infused his sculptures with dramatic intensity and dynamic movement, epitomized in masterpieces like Apollo and Daphne and The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.

His innovative use of light, texture, and space created theatrical experiences that captivate viewers and define the essence of Baroque sculpture. His works epitomize the grace, elegance, and emotional restraint of neoclassical sculpture, leaving an enduring legacy of timeless beauty. Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor often hailed as the father of modern sculpture, challenged traditional conventions with his expressive, fragmented forms and raw emotional power.

His iconic works, such as The Thinker and The Kiss, revolutionized sculptural techniques and inspired generations of artists to explore new realms of introspection and passion. His minimalist approach and spiritual connection to nature laid the groundwork for the modernist movement, influencing artists worldwide with his profound simplicity and elegance.

Alexander Calder, the American sculptor and inventor of the mobile, introduced kinetic energy and playful movement into sculpture with his whimsical creations like the hanging mobiles and monumental stabiles. His innovative use of wire, sheet metal, and brightly colored paint transformed sculpture into dynamic, interactive experiences, blurring the line between art and audience.

Henry Moore, the British sculptor, redefined the possibilities of form and space in sculpture with his monumental, abstracted figures inspired by natural forms like bones, rocks, and shells. His iconic reclining figures and monumental public sculptures, such as Large Reclining Figure and Three Piece Reclining Figure, embody a timeless universality and serene beauty that resonate with viewers worldwide.

Alberto Giacometti, the Swiss sculptor and painter, explored themes of existentialism and the human condition through his elongated, haunting figures, such as The Walking Man and Woman with Her Throat Cut. His distinctive style, characterized by thin, fragile forms and intense psychological depth, captured the essence of post-war anxiety and existential angst, cementing his place as one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century.

Barbara Hepworth, the British sculptor and leading figure of the modernist sculpture artists biography, celebrated the organic beauty of the natural world through her abstract, pierced forms and smooth, flowing contours. Her sculptures, like Single Form and Pelagos, seamlessly blend art and landscape, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between humanity and the environment with a sense of harmony and reverence.

Louise Bourgeois, the French-American sculptor and pioneer of confessional art, delved into themes of trauma, sexuality, and the subconscious through her provocative, emotionally charged sculptures, such as Maman and The Destruction of the Father. Her bold exploration of the female experience and the complexities of human relationships challenged societal norms and expanded the possibilities of contemporary sculpture.

Claes Oldenburg, the Swedish-American pop artist, transformed everyday objects into monumental sculptures that humorously subverted the mundane, such as his iconic giant soft sculptures like The Soft Toilet and Shuttlecock. His playful approach to scale and materiality challenged the boundaries of traditional sculpture and blurred the lines between art and popular culture, inviting viewers to reconsider the objects that surround them in a new light.

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese contemporary artist, is renowned for her immersive installations, polka-dotted sculptures, and surreal environments that reflect her fascination with infinity, obsession, and the subconscious.