ARTH 351 Studies in the History of Sculpture: Sculptural Qualities

• Wednesdays, 8:45-11:30 am
• Instructor: Dr. Charles Gagnon

By using the term sculpture, one ascribes to a thing a quality that brings it into the realm of art. But, what are these qualities that either differentiate, or bring sculpture closer to everyday things or objects? The term sculpture will be examined to untangle terms such as artifact, monument, statue, commodity, assemblage, process, movement, and immobility. We will consider works from various periods, such as the Laocoön, Medieval religious relics, and 1950s LA junk art. The role materials and techniques play in the making and reception of sculptures will be attended to, taking into consideration techniques such as molding, casting, the use of found and recycled materials; textiles, powders, wax, bronze and papier-maché will be some of the materials we will examine, as we look at the works of artists such as Henry Moore, Danh Vo, Liz Magor, Franz West, General Idea, Maureen Gruben and Beverly Buchanan.