Sculpture
The Sculpture concentration provides students with their primary experience in manipulating form, structure, and space in three dimensions, while learning the expressive potential of materials. Students explore the relationship of ideas to materials and processes. The curricular approach strikes a balance between design and crafting of materials, and historical and theoretical discussions that inform the students’ understanding of their role in creating sculpture in the context of our culture. The faculty recognizes sculpture to be broadly defined and inclusive of functional forms, sculptural objects, installation, site specific, public, and performance art. Above all, the sculpture concentration encourages the students to question and focus their intentions as art makers in an atmosphere of support and rigorous exploration.
The introductory course in sculpture familiarizes the student with three-dimensional fabrications and form language through experience in a variety of concepts, sculpture processes, and materials, including clay, wire, cardboard, styrofoam, plaster, and wood. Initial projects focus on more specific form language and simple direct materials; later projects will encourage the student to develop more independent and diverse viewpoints, concepts, techniques, and finishes. More advanced classes introduce specific sculptural materials, tools and techniques in greater depth, for example, wood lamination, carving and fabrication. Class time is devoted to introduction to each new problem, instruction and demonstrations, studio work time, discussion, viewing slides of relevant work, and group critiques of assigned projects.
