Materials and Processes of Contemporary Sculpture Materials and Processes of Contemporary Sculpture By Mahmoud M. Farag Materials and Processes of Contemporary Sculpture By Mahmoud M. Farag This book first published 2020 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2020 by Mahmoud M. Farag All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-4471-0 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-4471-0 To Penelope, Sherif, Sophie, Eamon, Hisham, Nadia and Nadine CONTENTS List of Figures............................................................................................ xi List of Tables ........................................................................................ xxxii Preface ................................................................................................. xxxiii Introduction .......................................................................................... xxxv Chapter 1 .................................................................................................... 1 Interrelationship between Concept, Design, Materials and Processes 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The Changing Nature of Sculpture 1.3 Uses of Sculpture 1.4 The Role of the Sculptor 1.5 Design of Sculpture: Form 1.6 Design of Sculpture: Geometrical Aspects 1.7 Design of Sculpture: Materials and Processing Aspects 1.8 Appreciation and Appraisal of Modern Sculpture 1.9 Discussion and Reflection on the Kiss Chapter 2 .................................................................................................. 22 Historical Overview: Dawn of History to Neoclassism 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Prehistoric Sculpture 2.3 Ancient Egypt 2.4 Ancient Near and Far East 2.5 Ancient Greece and Rome 2.6 India 2.7 China and Japan 2.8 Africa 2.9 The Americas 2.10 Islam 2.11 Early Christian, Byzantine and Gothic 2.12 Renaissance 2.13 Baroque and Rococo 2.14 Neoclassism viii Contents Chapter 3 .................................................................................................. 68 Historical Overview: Nineteenth to Twenty First Centuries 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Nineteenth Century 3.3 First Half of the Twentieth Century: The Advent of Modernism 3.4 Cubism 3.5 Dadaism 3.6 Futurism 3.7 Constructivism 3.8 Surrealism 3.9 Abstraction 3.10 Post Second World War 1945–70 3.11 Pop-Art Sculpture 3.12 Minimalist Sculpture 3.13 Hyperrealism 3.14 Land Art: Environmental Sculpture 3.15 Late Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Centuries Chapter 4 ................................................................................................ 104 Overview of Material Properties and Process Capabilities for Sculpture 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Work of the Sculptor 4.3 Strength, Stiffness, Hardness and Toughness of Materials 4.4 General Characteristics of Metals and Their Processes 4.5 General Characteristics of Traditional Carving Materials: Stone and Wood and Their Processes 4.6 General Characteristics of Traditional Modelling and Casting Nonmetallic Materials: Clay, Plaster, Synthetic Stone, Ceramics and Glass and Their Processes 4.7 General Characteristics of Plastics and Composites 4.8 Finishing Processes 4.9 Economics of Materials and Processes 4.10 Recommended Combinations of Materials and Processes 4.11 Discussion and Reflection on the Sculpture of a Horse Chapter 5 ................................................................................................ 133 Traditional Carving Materials: Hard Stone, Marble, Sandstone, Limestone, Wood 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Granite and Basalt 5.3 Marble Materials and Processes of Contemporary Sculpture ix 5.4 Sandstone 5.5 Limestone 5.6 Alabaster 5.7 Stone Carving Techniques 5.8 Wood 5.9 Occupational Health and Safety in Carving 5.10 Economics of Stone and Wood Sculpture 5.11 Discussion and Reflection on Basalt and Wooden Sculptures Chapter 6 ................................................................................................ 150 Traditional Modelling and Casting Materials: Plaster, Clay, Ceramic, Glass and Concrete 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Modelling and Casting Processes and Tools 6.3 Plaster 6.4 Clay and Ceramics 6.5 Glass 6.6 Cement and Concrete 6.7 Economics of Modelled and Cast Concrete Sculpture 6.8 Discussion and Reflection on a Concrete Sculpture Chapter 7 ................................................................................................ 168 Steel Sculpture 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Grades of Steel 7.3 Shapes, Sizes and Finishing of Steel Products 7.4 Processing of Steel Sculpture 7.5 Economics of Steel Sculpture 7.6 Discussion and Reflection on a Stainless Steel Sculpture Chapter 8 ................................................................................................ 183 Nonferrous Metals and Alloys 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Copper, Brass and Bronze 8.3 Aluminum and Magnesium and Their Alloys 8.4 Zinc, Lead and Tin and Their Alloys 8.5 Gold, Silver and Platinum 8.6 Economics of Nonferrous Sculpture 8.7 Discussion and Reflection on Sculptures of Reclining Figures x Contents Chapter 9 ................................................................................................ 197 Plastics and Composite Materials 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Characteristics of Plastics 9.3 Characteristics of Composite Materials 9.4 Processing of Plastics and Composite Materials 9.5 Artworks in Plastics and Composites 9.6 Economics of Making Sculpture from Plastics and Composites 9.7 Discussion and Reflection on FRPC and Bronze Sculptures Chapter 10 .............................................................................................. 218 Constructions, Installations, Combines and Assemblages 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Public Sculpture 10.3 Constructions and Assemblages 10.4 Combines 10.5 Installations 10.6 Light Art 10.7 Environmental Art 10.8 Discussion and Reflection on an Installation Chapter 11 .............................................................................................. 238 New Materials and Processes 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Shape Memory Materials 11.3 Smart Materials 11.4 Eco-Friendly Materials 11.5 Ice Sculpture 11.6 Sand sculpture 11.7 Translucent Concrete 11.8 Metamaterials 11.9 CAD/CAM Systems 11.10 Additive Manufacturing 11.11 Virtual Reality in Sculpture Bibliography and Further Reading ......................................................... 254 Glossary .................................................................................................. 260 LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1 Fig. 1-1 Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), The Kiss from different angles, original marble 1898, this bronze was cast in 1902, 182.9 cm, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, France, Creative Commons, license: CC BY-SA 3.0, public domain, photos, left to right, by 1. Vassil, 2009, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6562779, 2. I, Yair Haklai, 2007, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4100534, 3. Vassil, 2009, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6562754 Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Sculptures_in_the_Jardin_des_Tuileries#/me dia/File:Tuileries_Rodin_Le_Baiser_120409_4.jpg Fig. 1-2 Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), Maman, the mother, 1999, steel with white and grey marble in the egg sac beneath the head, 927 x 891 x 1024 cm (30 ft. high and 33 ft. wide), weight about 3660 kg., Creative Commons stock photo, license: CC 0, public domain, Dreamstime.com, Image ID 109921496. Link: https://www.dreamstime.com/brown-wooden-spider-formed-statue- photography-public-domain-image-free-109921496 Fig. 1-3 Ganymede feeding the eagle, Roman relief, 1st Century BCE, after a Greek original, marble, 58 x 44 cm (c. 23 x 17 in.) the State Hermitage Museum, Inv. No. A.195, Saint Petersburg, photo by Chatsam, 2015. Creative Commons, license: CC BY-SA 3.0. Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_Roman_reliefs_of_Ganym ede#/media/File:Ermitage_Relief_of_Ganymede_and_the_eagle.JPG Fig. 1-4 Sunken relief, ancient Egypt, 1400 BCE, Luxor, Egypt, Dreamstime® Free Stock Photos, public domain, Link: https://www.dreamstime.com/relief-sculpture-ancient-history-art-public- domain-image-free-114296706 xii List of Figures Fig. 1-5 Barbara Hepworth, St. Ives, Cornwall, photo by Malivsey, Creative Commons, license: CC BY-SA 2.0 Link: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/e0fd1eed-fcc1-44fe-9fc1- 60605ed8347b Fig. 1-6 Edgar Degas (1834–1917), Dancer Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot (Fourth State), bronze, modelled before ca. 1895–1900, cast 1920, 46.4 x 24.4 x 17.1 cm (18-1/4 x 9-5/8 x 6-3/4 in.), Metropolitan Museum of Art, H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929, Accession Number:29.100.377, public domain, Link: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/196446?&searchField=All&sort By=Relevance&ft=open+access+sculpture+degas&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=1 3 Fig. 1-7 Alfred Gilbert (1854–1934), Eros, cast aluminum alloy, Piccadilly Circus, London, England, UK, photo by Diego Delso, 2014, Creative Commons, license: CC BY-SA 4.0 Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fuente_Eros,_Piccadilly_Circus,_Londr es,_Inglaterra,_2014-08-11,_DD_159.JPG Fig. 1-8 Aristide Maillol (1861–1944), The Three Graces, 1930, lead, in Jardins du Carrousel, Paris, France, photo by Coyau, 2015, Creative