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HISTORY & HUMANITIES | SCULPTURE

THE BIG PICTURE

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 1 History & Humanities | Sculpture

Sculpture is any three-dimensional visual art form. Sculptures can be made from almost any material, from very durable stone and metal, to temporary, like paper or ice. Sculpture can be free-standing, as in a statute, or part of another surface, like a relief carving on the side of a building.

For this emblem, you will learn about the history and practice of sculpture, and you will explore your immediate community as well as free resources from world-class museums to learn more about how sculptures are made and what they can mean.



ZOOMING INWe know that human cultures all across the world, and throughout time, have modified materials they found to resemble animals, people, objects, and even elaborate geometric patterns. Some cultures create very realistic looking sculptures, and many create stylized or exaggerated depictions of figures, animals and familiar objects. While it is impossible to describe all the ways that sculpture has been made and used around the world, it is clear that sculpture often plays an important part in religious and spiritual practice as well as in daily life.

STONE SCULPTUREBecause stone is so durable, what we know about ancient and even prehistoric cultures is largely from stone sculptures produced at that time! There are many examples of elaborate, large stone sculptures that have persisted long past the specific knowledge of their purpose—like the giant heads on Easter Island, or the standing stones in Stonehenge.

EUROPEAN SCULPTUREDuring the middle ages in Europe, sculptures were mostly devotional. Statues almost always represented historic and religious figures. The church commissioned sculpture to decorate their buildings, and wealthy parishioners also gave artwork as gifts to their churches. Also common was the work that decorated practical objects like weapons, tools and furnishings. Because every object was made by hand and for a specific purpose, the maker often highlighted the uniqueness by adding a bit of embellishment or carving. The more important an object or its owner, the more time and effort may have been spent on decoration. These sculptures may not have been thought of as artists, but rather as artisans, practicers of specialized crafts.

RENAISSANCE SCULPTUREDuring the Renaissance, from the mid 1400 onward, the “rediscovery” of classical sculpture (from Greek and Roman cultures) and a newfound interest in accurately representing human anatomy meant that artists focused on much more naturalistic depictions of human forms. Some very important sculptors who helped to rediscover and



refine this classical style of a realistic human form were Donatello and then Michaelangelo. They studied the work of ancient Greece and Rome, but also used live models and extensive study of human anatomy to inform their artwork. We now know that ancient Greek and Romans painted their marble statues in bright colors, but the paint degraded over time, so the classical sculptures that European sculptors copied were stone colored. The highly realistic physical forms of Renaissance sculpture are a contrast with the white color of the marble they are carved from.

SUBTRACTIVE AND ADDITIVE METHODSFor much of the history of sculpture, artists were limited to subtractive methods (removing material) like carving stone, wood, bone or ivory. Artists also used additive methods (building up) like modeling with clay. Each sculpture was a unique work, and it was time consuming to make each one individually; they were also fragile, and could easily break.

CAST SCULPTUREThe innovation and spread of cast metal for sculptures was revolutionary. Instead of making one original sculpture, the artist makes a mold of the model, and then makes a hollow metal cast of the sculpture. It made it much easier to duplicate sculptures, and casting the final sculpture in metal meant it was much less fragile, and easier to transport. This meant that sculpture could become somewhat less expensive and more widely available. Auguste Rodin’s Burghers of Calais, for instance, has been cast many times, so there are copies of it all over the earth

NON-REPRESENTATIONAL SCULPTUREThe 19th and 20th centuries saw a rapidly growing fascination with non-representational types of sculpture, and artists began to experiment with materials, styles, and even to push the boundaries of what constitutes a sculpture, from presenting found objects as art to creating immersive installations and environments. If you keep a broad definition of sculpture, you can begin to see sculptural work all around you, in statues and discrete artwork, but also in the embellishments and sculptural elements of the built environment, functional objects, and even in toys!

#ONE MORE THING

What makes a sculpture of a human body look naturalistic? It is not just the accuracy of the anatomy. In ancient Egypt, there are examples of anatomically accurate sculptures which look extremely stiff and not lifelike. Early Greek sculptures were similar, as are many made during middle ages in Europe.

However, there is one famous and innovative example from classical Greece called the Kritios Boy (named this when it was excavated in the 1800s because people thought it perhaps had been created by an artist named Kritios) which is the oldest surviving sculpture to employ something we now called contrapposto (counterpoise). The artist showed a human form in a pose which expresses an inner mood or state of mind, where the body is relaxed into an “s” shape, appearing to have all weight shifted to one leg, with the other bent to take a step. This pose is dynamic but also balanced.

Art historians have traced the way that the innovation from this one artist in ancient Greece quickly spread and influenced Greek and later Roman artists to experiment not only with physical pro-portions, but also with poses that express personality and emotion. Much later, Renaissance artists also learned these techniques by studying classical sculpture, and it continues to influence represen-tative statues and sculptures even now. You can see in the work of contemporary sculptors like Ron Mueck the use of body position to convey mood.


ACTIVITY | SCULPTURE

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To earn the Sculture History and Humanities emblem, you will need to complete four tasks.

You must complete at least one task from the Field Trip category, one task from the Research category, and two others of your choice.

FIELD TRIP TASKS

TASK 1

Find out as much as you can about a public statue, monument, or other three-dimensional public art, and visit it as a group. First, take a look at the work itself. What is it made of? How big is it? How is it incorporated into or set apart from the surroundings. What can you see about the style? Is it abstract? Figurative? Realistic? What other artwork does it remind you of? What is the mood- how does it make you feel? Then, gather as much as you can about it. Who made it? When? Do you know why? If you don’t, can you use clues in the artwork itself as well as the setting and what you might know about when it was made to understand more about what the artist is trying to covey?

Bring paper and pencils for sketching and notes, and cameras to document what you see. Can you observe people interacting with the sculpture, and possibly even interview people who live and work in the area about how they interpret the public art they encounter regularly?

Individually or as a group you can write a review or article about the sculpture sharing what you learned and how your group interprets the work. Include visual documentation such as photo-graphs or drawings.

TASK 2

Does your community have a museum or other institution that displays sculptures? Set up a visit to learn more about what is in the collection of a local organization. If it is a large museum, choose one time period or collection for your focus. If it is a smaller gallery or exhibit, see if you can arrange for a docent led tour, or at least to gather some written material about the artwork that you will see. Bring paper and pencils for sketching and taking notes. Have the boys discuss what they noticed and learned afterwards. Ask them to make a close study of one or more sculptures. Be sure to note the artist’s name, the title of the artwork, the time and place it comes from, and to be able to for-mally describe what it looks like and how the artist chose to make the work.



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TASK 3Sculpture has been an important part of religious practice across many times and places. If your community has a cathedral, church or other religious institution with sculptures, statues, decorative altars, or other religious art and decoration, schedule a visit to see how the visual art is incorporated into the house of worship, what it depicts and why. How does it connect people to the meaning of what happens here? In what way does it create a special or different feeling inside the space? Are you able to understand the subject matter of the artwork or do you find you need more explanation? Does the sculpture (including the decorative architectural elements) help you understand the religious or spiritual practices that take place here? Generate an informal or more formal guide to the sculptures and sculptural elements of this religious institution. Include drawings and photographs, and perhaps a rough map of the location.

TASK 4Many buildings include sculptural elements visible to the public, either on their facade (face) or in their lobbies and public areas. If your community has a building like this, or a neighborhood (probably an older neighbor-hood) with sculptural decorations and elements, you can schedule a visit or walking tour to see them. Can you find out when the buildings were constructed, and for what purpose, who paid for them and who the architects were? Are the elements purely decorative or are they also figurative? Do they borrow symbols from mythology or religions? For example- in ancient Greek and then Roman architecture many sculptural elements were incor-porated; and then in the early US continuing until contemporary times, borrowing from these “classical” styles of early democratic societies has been common—it communicates visually a connection to a long tradition of democracy, as well as a monumental and lasting feeling. If you have state buildings, court buildings, even old banks, you may see some Greco-Roman style columns and sculptures. Starting in the early 20th century, and also continuing today, sleek “modern” decorations convey a different feeling, perhaps one of being futuristic and forward-looking. What do the sculptural and decorative aspects of buildings communicate to you? Why do you think they were put there?

TASK 5Many cemeteries—old and new—include grave markers and memorial statuary that are sculptural. If your community has an accessible graveyard you can visit and compare the materials and style of the markers and memorials that you find. Be sure to be respectful of the setting, that these are meaningful places to memorialize lives of loved ones, but they are often freely open to the public. Since they have dates on them, you can make an educated guess about when they were created. Do you see certain styles, materials, or even images that are used only in particular time periods? Are there symbols or images used to tell something about the person whose life is memorialized? (Such as their religion, profession, ethnicity or culture, etc). How do the markers convey information and emotion? Consider making a key, guide, or map that shows where to find interesting examples of sculptural work.



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RESEARCH TASKS

TASK 6

Work together to create a large timeline (using a blackboard or even the floor of your meeting space, or do it in a digital format). Start by making a list of some famous sculptures, sculptors, or types of sculpture that your group is familiar with, and identify the approximate date and location. Then, split up into teams and begin to work backwards and forwards to create a complete timeline of sculptural history!

TASK 7

Using books and online resources, choose one particular time and place, and learn all you can about the prac-tice of sculpture then. Who were some famous sculptors (if their names survive)? What are some characteristics of sculptures at this time? Who paid for them? What was their social and cultural function? (to teach? To memo-rialize or record for posterity? To impress others?) What materials did artists have available to them? Stylistically, what characterizes the sculptures? Prepare a short poster or digital presentation to share with the whole group and teach about a small slice of the history of art. You can choose your time and place by browsing for a sculp-ture you like in free image databases, or start with a historical period you have heard about or otherwise find interesting:

If you don’t already have an idea of something you are interested in researching further, here are some ideas to get started (you may have to narrow these down!): Mesopotamian sculpture, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Northwestern US Native Americans, Terracotta Army (China), Bamiyan Buddhas (Afghanistan), European Middle Ages religious statuary or glasswork, Aztec stone sculptures, Terracotta Sculptures of the Nok people

TASK 8

Pick a contemporary or 20th century sculptor, and alone or in a small group create a presentation to teach your group all about this person and their work. Keep the biography short, and spend most of your time sharing images and information about their sculptures.

Some ideas: Jeff Koons, Louise Bourgeois, Ron Mueck, Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Serra, Niki di Saint Phalle, Louise Nevelson, Claes Oldenberg, Alexander Calder

TASK 9

Break into groups and learn more about specific sculptural techniques. How are they done? How long does it take to make a sculpture—training, tools, facility? What do the materials cost? What are the benefits and draw-backs of using a particular material? Create a presentation that teaches about a particular material or method for making sculptures, and also shows examples of sculptures made in that way.



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TAKE A CLOSER LOOK! Exploring the free image databases of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the British Museum, look for a sculpture or type of sculpture that catches your interest (remember to also consider sculptural decoration on tools, objects, coins and buildings)

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection

Then, dig deeper and find out more about the sculpture(s) you choose so that you can teach your classmates or another group at the Corps about it. Make sure you can also tell a little bit about how this work might fit into the time it was made—is this representative of sculptures at the time or is this unusual? Is it part of a particular style, “school” or movement?

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-1 History & Humanities | Sculpture


GUIDE’S RESOURCES


MATERIALS

¨ name tags (if needed)

¨ manuals

MATERIALS

¨ Writing tools and index cards (or other paper for writing questions

¨ Bells, whistles or other equipment

This topic aims to introduce the boys to the history of sculpture and its properties. It is an opportunity for boys to explore and expand their knowledge of sculpture, and to give those with artistic knowledge an opportunity to shine! Due to its content, this emblem may pair well with Sculpture Creative Arts and/or Painting Creative Arts and/or Painting History & Humanities.

X Differentiation point. Sculpture is an incredibly diverse art form. All cultures have famous sculptures and sculptors. Encourage boys to share well-known three-dimensional art forms from cultures they know or of which they are part!

X Differentiation point. There are many ways to discuss the history of sculp-ture. For any visual aides that might be necessary, there are an abundance of photos online that can be found on the Internet or texts that can be checked out of a library.

X Differentiation point. Let the boys’ tastes guide your discussion and their research. Try to show sculpture from all time periods and see what they prefer!

X Differentiation point. Some tasks require research. If engaging in internet research during meeting time, be sure to monitor to ensure safe browsing.

X Differentiation point. Some tasks require the boys to embark on excursions with choices of different settings. A docent may even lead the boys on a tour. If you plan a trip, be sure to follow proper protocol for permission and transportation to and from the field trip site.

The Group Task will examine the different time periods of sculpture as outlined in Zooming In. The individual tasks give the boys opportunities to both explore sculpture in their surrounding community in galleries, museums, cemeteries, com-munities, and/or churches. The closing task will consider the role sculpture plays in the Bible.

TOPIC GUIDE: INTRODUCTIONWelcome the boys and read the topic together.

1. Be sure to take your time and pause after each method explanation to ask the boys if they have questions.

GROUP TASK: TRIVIA GAME (30 MINUTES)This task is an opportunity to delve into the concepts introduced in Zooming In and One More Thing in a fun and relatively low-pressure way.

X Differentiation point. Have fun making up the rules for the game show, and feel free to modify the rules with input from the boys. Perhaps have whichever team gets 10 questions correct first wins. You may want to have small bells (like you ring at a front desk) or whistles for the boys to “ring in,” humorous rhymes you make up when the boys get an answer correct or incorrect, or a funny prize for the winning team (like a squeaky toy or emoji stickers).




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

1. Have each boy write down at least one question from the material of Zooming In on an index card.

a. Give each boy at least one index card. Have him write his name on it.

b. As they work independently to write down their questions, circulate around and help the boys. They should write the question on one side and the answer on the other. Some boys may need help reading and writing.

2. Break into teams (anywhere from 2-5 teams) and review the material through a game show where you will serve as host.

a. Read each question, and have the teams compete to provide answers (add in some questions of your own as well!). The team of the boy who wrote the question is ineligible to answer, of course!

b. The team with the most points wins!

INDIVIDUAL TASKSThe individual tasks are split into two categories: field trip tasks and research tasks. The boys must complete a total of four tasks, with the requirement that at least one task must be from each category. Thus, they may complete: (1) 2 field trip tasks and 2 research tasks, (2) 1 field trip task and 3 research tasks, or (3) 3 research tasks and 1 research task.

X Differentiation point. We encourage you to help the boys consider resources when deciding which tasks to choose. Do you live near museums or histori-cal landmarks? A public sculpture garden? A university with a vibrant visual arts program? Is transportation easily accessible?

FIELD TRIP TASKS: TASKS 1-5These tasks requires field trips to various settings where sculpture abounds, so that boys can see up close the beauty of 3-D art. Each trip would take approximately one session.

X Differentiation point. You may organize this trip as a group or the boys may do so individually.

1. You (and the boys) must locate a place or places to visit in your area. As noted before, be sure to consider your resources. At times, there are rich resources within walking distance!

a. Be sure to arrange transportation to and from places for yourself and the boys. Determine precise times and places for drop-off and Pick-up.

b. Verify that all proper procedures are followed for gaining parental permis-sion and obtaining all necessary information to be prepared in case of a medical emergency or accident while on the field trip.

2. At the end of the trip, debrief with the boys. Consider the follow questions:

a. What did they enjoy?

b. What new thing did each boy see or learn about sculpture?




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

MATERIALS

¨ Chart paper, blackboard, or other large surface

¨ Markers or other writing tools

¨ Books for research

MATERIALS

¨ Poster paper & writing tools OR devices for pre-senting research

¨ Texts for research

c. What was their favorite piece?

d. If they have attended several field trips, how does each trip compare and contrast with others?

3. (Optional) Have the boys journal their impressions of the sculpture they saw and share their reflections.

RESEARCH TASKS: TASKS 6-9The boys should choose at least one research task. These tasks may take between one and two sessions.

TASK 6This task requires the whole group (or at least part of the group) working together to construct a complete timeline of the history of sculpture.

Differentiation point. You could use chart papers that you tape together, a blackboard or even the floor of your meeting space, or do it in a digital format.

1. Start by making a list of some famous sculptures, sculptors, or types of sculpture that your group is familiar with, and identify the approximate date and loca-tion. This will require either internet research or through literary research.

2. Then, split up into teams and begin to work backwards and forwards.

X Differentiation point. Teams can follow their own interests, or you can assign each group either a continent or an era to research.

3. When the task is complete, admire and celebrate your work as a group.

TASK 7This task requires boys to learn in-depth about a particular period in sculpture or a particular city (such as Florence or Paris) and its role in the history of sculpture.

1. Have the boys choose one particular time and place, and learn all you can about the practice of sculpture then. If boys have trouble deciding, you may assign a period or setting.

2. The boys should research using internet or texts as directed in the manual.

3. Have them prepare a short poster or digital presentation to share with the group. Have them keep track of time by reminding them when there are 15, 5, and 2 minutes left to work.

4. Host a sharing session, and praise them for their hard work!




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

MATERIALS



MATERIALS



TASK 8This task has boys research a contemporary or 20th century sculptor.

1. Have the boys pick a sculptor as directed in the manual. If they have trouble deciding, you may consider assigning a sculptor.

X Differentiation point. Be sure that the work the artist does is in line with Corps values. Some of the sculptors have some work that is appropriate, while other pieces would be less so. Use your judgement when approving sculptors.

2. The boys should research using internet or texts as directed in the manual. Have them keep track of time by reminding them when there are 15, 5, and 2 minutes left to work.


TASK 9This task allows boys to learn about different sculptural techniques throughout history. This task is intended to be done in small groups.

1. Break the boys into groups or have them choose groups.

2. Have them choose a particular technique or assign them one if they have diffi-culty deciding.

3. The boys should research using internet or texts as directed in the manual. Have them keep track of time by reminding them when there are 15, 5, and 2 minutes left to work.


CLOSING TASK: SCULPTURE IN THE BIBLEThe boys may not be aware that the Original Ten Commandments were carved into stone. Yes, God used sculptural techniques to communicate his Word of Law to his Chosen People! The First and Second Temples at Jerusalem also contained beautiful sculptures.

Discuss with the boys why sculpture has been such an important way to commu-nicate God’s message to His people. How does sculpture help to inspire Christians around the world? How does it help to communicate God’s Word? How might sculptors today continue to communicate God’s word through their art?

Documents

B CTURE - nhqced.com · sculptors like Ron Mueck the use of body position to convey mood. The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 4 History & Humanities | Sculpture A NAME: DATE: