The Value of Sculptural Materials

One idea in the Matter chapter in The Sculptural Idea that I found intriguing was the section on “the intrinsic character of the material”. It is interesting to think about the physical and psychological effects of the materials themselves rather than the sculpture as a whole. The idea that the material of the sculpture gives another dimension to affect a response from the viewer in a similar way to the colors of a painting. However it is more complex than a painting in the idea that a piece of blue painted metal will create a different feeling than a blue strip of cloth. The artist can take advantage of the primal instincts a viewer will have toward the different materials and use them to craft a certain emotional response to the sculpture as a whole. Combined with color and form this allows the artist to create a very specific type of feeling for the whole piece. I find it very compelling to think about all of the possibilities an artist has with sculpture in order to elicit different emotions from a viewer and also how each person will interpret the use of materials differently.