5 Modern Sculptors Who Have Inspired
Modern Wall Sculpture Art
By Alyssa Davis
Which sculptures should we consider as modern ?
Ironically, modern in the world of art, can refer to
artists, artworks, and styles that have been popular
during the past decade or even century. Much of today's
wall art resembles contemporary styles. People may one
day consider the works of these artists as classics, in
the same sense that Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance
sculptors are today. Here are some of the most renowned
modern sculptors:
1. Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957)
Brancusi was a Romanian sculptor who made France his
home. In the 1900s, Brancusi refined sculpture as an art
form. While he showed the basic beauty of sculpture, he
also attached an aura of mystery to it. Brancusi
attended various art schools before creating Ecorche
(1902), which Bucharest's medical school still uses as a
model. The works of Auguste Rodin greatly influenced
Brancusi, teaching him that a force within a sculpture
creates its surface. Within time, Brancusi would use a
somewhat minimalist approach, attempting to represent
sculptures in their most basic form.
2. Naum Gabo (1890-1977)
Born in Russia, Gabo later became an American. During
World War I, Gabo lived in Norway and began developing
his stereometric method of sculpting. This approach
would ultimately influence some of today's wall
sculpture art. Gabo's first sculptures were Cubist, and
utilized the materials of celluloid and sheet metal. He
would continue to use interesting materials, including
plastic, wire, and glass. The goal was to create an
impression of movement.
3. Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962)
Mestrovic was a Croatian-American sculptor who once
worked as a shepherd. Classic Greek Auguste Rodin
sculptures greatly influenced Mestrovic's typically huge
and serious works. Mestrovic often used materials such
as bronze, marble, and wood. Common subjects that
Mestrovic used included:
- Yugoslav history
- Yugoslav folklore
- churches
- Biblical scenes
4. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Picasso began to demonstrate his artistic skills as a
young painter. Very quickly, he became renowned
worldwide for his original and abundant painting.
Although Picasso mainly used the medium of painting, he
also used other media, such as sculptures. Other
sculptures also influenced Picasso's paintings. For
instance, Iberian (far southwestern Europe) sculpture
contributed to the style Picasso used in his painting
Portrait of Gertrude Stein (1906). African sculpture
also influenced Picasso's use of Cubism.
5. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Rodin's works were quite visionary and have certainly
inspired some of today's wall sculpture art. The
Frenchman perceived the materials of his sculptures as
objects that required shaping, in order to create
different effects on the surface. Rodin also perceived
his sculptures as pieces of material that existed in
space. He made an important trip to Italy, during 1875.
There, the works of masters such as Michelangelo and
Donatello amazed Rodin. Rodin's first major sculpture,
The Age of Bronze was so realistic that experts wrongly
believed that Rodin had used a mold of a living human!
Some of today's most lovely metal wall sculptures are
based on modern sculptors. While modern is relative, the
beauty that they reveal is very concrete.
Alyssa Davis is a head author at Metal-Wall-Art.com,
where you can find wall sculpture art and more metal
wall sculptures products. |