|
Stone Art Sculpture - Artwork to Be
Discovered
By Denny Phillips
The art world consists of many diverse mediums. It can
include anything from paintings and drawings, to modeled
and carved works. Stone sculpture is another avenue of
artwork to be discovered.
Stone sculpture is not just the piling of stones or
rocks on top of one another into a meaningless shape.
The stone works suggest a meaningful placement of the
stones or rocks used. Typically the stones used are
lovingly hand-picked by the artist for their best use in
color, size and shape, brought together to form a
complex structured artwork.
The stone sculptures are often representations of
objects, people or animals. Typically the stones are not
shaped or carved in any way, but used in their complete
natural form. Used together, the stones create a
suggestion of an image, object or life form.
Using stones and rocks to create art evokes the feeling
of stability. Stones and rocks are solid objects that
bring to mind strength and permanence. That is why many
subjects of stone art sculpture deal with that theme.
The Inuit Inukshuk is a good example of stone sculpture
art. Although the Inukshuk was used by the Inuit as a
directional tool, it is still considered a beautiful art
form. As a bit of background, the Inukshuk is made up of
stones or rocks piled up and balanced one on top of
another in the representation of a person. The Inukshuk
was used to help hunters herd caribou and was also used
to give directions to travelers in the harsh treeless
Arctic landscape. Today the Inukshuk is considered a
native art form representative of the Inuit culture and
is still found dotting the northern Canadian landscape.
The Inukshuk will also be used as the 2010 Olympic
Winter Games symbol.
Although the Inukshuk is a well-known example of stone
art sculpture, stone art works can be made into other
art pieces. Common stone sculptures are made into
crosses or Eskimo or animal shapes. The stone crosses
are often used as mementos placed on loved ones
gravesites, the stone giving the meaning of tying the
loved one to the earth. The Eskimo or animal shapes
suggest the culture in a native art form.
Often the artworks contain fossils and impressions found
in the stones used, making them even more interesting.
Impressions of shells or the outline of small animal
bones add visual impact into the history of the stones
used which is often incorporated into the theme of the
piece. The fossilizations represent further proof of the
'permanent' aspect of the piece.
Stone art sculptures are beautiful symbols of structured
art works. Stones or rocks united in the construction of
an artwork are truly a unique artwork to be discovered. |
