BA Hons Creative Arts: Starting out in 3D: Sculpture 1

Project 8: Casting, internal space/ external form.

Research point.

Dame Rachel Whiteread (1963)

Whiteread is a British artist. Casted sculptures dominate her wide range of work. She succeeded in becoming the first woman to be awarded the Turner Prize in 1993. As one of the ‘Young British Artists’ her work had been exhibited at the 1997 ‘Sensation Exhibition’. Amidst her most notable sculptures are the ‘Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial’, ‘House’ and ‘Untitled Monument’. ‘House’ 1993, was created by filling an East London derelict house with concrete. The structure acted as the female mould. Works like ’House’ explore negative space that surrounds objects or are contained by objects. The sculpture was destroyed shortly after its creation.

Sir Anthony Douglas Cragg CBE RA (1949)

Liverpool born Cragg began his artistic career in the 1970s, concentrating on conceptual and minimalist art. Latterly, Cragg delved into surface and form using a wide range of materials. These included stone, wood, metal, rubber, plastic and Kevlar. The influence of Arte Povera and Landart can be seen in much of his works. These works were based on found objects, ready-mades and so-called ‘poor materials.’ Whilst constantly searching for a ‘missing form’, Cragg’s creations began to grow in their complexity. With each new work, he seeks to construct something to amaze himself as much as the observer. Cragg attempts to bypass the observer’s sentimental responses and appeal above all, to their cerebral strengths. He encourages the viewer to be more diagnostic in their approach when attempting to make sense of his work. Each of his new sculptures seems to be a derivative of previous works whilst intensifying in their intricacy. Cragg utilises drawing as a tool to fashion and create his sculptures. This medium enables him to work out problems relating to form in preparation for 3D applications.

Eva Hesse (1936-1970)

German born American Hesse was an early pioneer of 1960’s post minimalism. As a sculptor, she worked with a wide range of materials including fibre glass, rope, cheesecloth, latex and plastics. Her abstract sculptures thoroughly undermined the aesthetics conventions of her time. She renounced the norms associated with monumental sculptures in preference to eccentricity.  It has been suggested that Hesse’s choice of impermanent materials reflected her belief that their ephemeral nature demonstrated the passage of time. She was one of the first artists to examine the flowing curves of the biological sphere of nature. She was a proponent of elementary artistic expression and much of her work has been described as eccentric. With her piece ‘Hang Up’ (1966), she manages to combine two- and three-dimensional works. She added a length of metal to a hanging canvas, resulting in the canvas becoming a sculpture. This came to signify Hesse’s progression from two to three-dimensional practise. Hesse abandoned attitudes towards spatial relationships and form that prevailed at the time, declaring ‘Chaos can be structured as non chaos’.

Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003)

Chadwick was part of a new breed of British sculptors to feature work at the 1952 Venice Biennale. Their work was a departure from traditional sculptural practise. They replaced materials like wood, stone and marble with plaster, iron and modern composites. Their work represented a departure from mass and an intensification of line. Chadwick’s career as a sculptor lasted nearly fifty years. His pathway to sculpture was unorthodox. He started out as a draughtsman for London Architect, Rodney Thomas. His work involved exhibition design with an emphasis on construction. He began making mobiles constructed using balsa wood, wire, brass shapes and cut copper. These fish-like works were often integrated into exhibitions as ornamental features. He looked towards iron as a medium, preferring its definite lines. He thought of clay as being nebulous and too soft. He could not envisage what shape clay should be. As a draughtsman he would have been more at ease producing three dimensional drawings for his chosen medium. Chadwick’s distinctive way of working largely contributed to the style of his sculptures. He formed three dimensional shapes by welding steel rods and fashioned them into framework. He rarely sketched his ideas prior to sculpting, preferring to illustrate upon completion of work. He would fill his armatures with plaster loaded with iron filings. The sculptures would be fashioned into a smooth or textured surface. He would continue this practise until the late 1950’s. At this point he resolved to cast his work in bronze. His once exclusive work could now be expanded into the production of editions.

Sarah Lucas (b.1962)

British contemporary artist Lucas is renowned for sculpture, performance and corporeal photography. She uses everyday materials to produce coarse and provocative commentary on death, sexuality and gender. Her work is defined by its tongue in cheek humour. She uses found items, cigarettes, toilets, newspapers, tights, food and furniture. The human form is at the centre of much of her work. During the 1990’s Lucas utilised photography to create a sequence of self portraits. The images portrayed an ingratiating blend of susceptibility and posture. Her foray into photography established an uncomplimentary mood for future work. ‘Great Dates’ (1992) is a montage made up of fragments taken from salacious leaflets discovered in London telephone kiosks. For her piece ‘Christ, you know it ain’t easy’ (2003), Lucas borrows lyrics from the Beatles song ‘The ballad of John and Yoko’ (1969). This sculpture was constructed using fibre glass and then clad in Marlborough cigarettes.

Bibliography:

Artnet (n.d.) Eva Hesse [online] Artnet. Available from: http://www.artnet.com/artists/eva-hesse/ [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Blain/Southern (n.d.) Lynn Chadwick [online] Blain/Southern. Available from: https://www.blainsouthern.com/artists/lynn-chadwick [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Cass (n.d.) Tony Cragg [online] Cass. Available from: http://www.sculpture.org.uk/artist/tony-cragg [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Tate (n.d.) Rachel Whiteread [online] Tate. Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/rachel-whiteread-2319 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Warde-Aldam.D. (2018) The shock factor of Sarah Lucas [online] Apollo. Available from:  https://www.apollo-magazine.com/sarah-lucas-shock-value/ [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Images:

Cwangdom (n.d.) ‘Whiteread_02’ [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/e752bb62-b7e9-4cdb-805a-78f55bdeda27 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Elfleda (n.d.) ‘Stairs’ Lynn Chadwick [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/142538a8-2fe7-45ae-aafb-586a5d287685 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Goldman. E (n.d.)‘Christ, You Know It Aint Easy’ Sarah Lucas [online image] Available at: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/art-talk/the-provocative-and-explicit-art-of-sarah-lucas [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Schlemmer. M (2009) ‘Hang up 1’ Art Institute, Eva Hesse [online image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbschlemmer/4096026407 [Accessed 7th November 2019]

Schobert. D (2010) ‘Points of View‘ Tony Cragg [online image] Available at: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/f53863e0-c91b-4cbc-96d3-99dc2837781f  [Accessed 7th November 2019]