What Is Freestanding Sculpture?

Freestanding sculptures have a significant artistic presence.

In the world of art, sculpture stands apart as a unique type. Many artistic pieces are trapped in two dimensions, but sculpture is one of only a few three-dimensional art forms. Within the world of sculpture, one of the most common and most interesting types is the freestanding sculpture.

Types

A classic example of relief. It can't be viewed from behind, because it's attached to a wall.

There are a number of types of sculptures, of which freestanding is one subtype. You may also encounter reliefs, which are usually built into walls. Most of the figures are attached to a flat plane and can be seen from about a 180-degree vantage. Mobiles are moving, kinetic sculptures that are usually suspended from a ceiling. There are also installations, which are sometimes a mixture of all of the above and are more situation-specific.

Subtypes

Freestanding sculptures stand separately and can be viewed in a full 360-degree range. Busts--sculptures of a human head and sometimes shoulders--are visible from the full range of vision but usually are seen from the front. Statues are larger, usually depicting an entire human body--although there is a subgenre of equestrian statues depicting horses or people riding horses.

Benefits

This sculpture is impressive, but the back isn't visible in a two-dimensional picture.

The advantages a freestanding sculpture has over two-dimensional art is that it can be viewed from more angles. Most sculptures are made from media such as stone, metals or even papier-mache. They require a fair amount of work, but when a freestanding sculpture is complete, it's an extremely impressive piece. Two-dimensional photographs can't capture the three-dimensional quality of a freestanding sculpture.

History

"David" is considered a beautiful piece.

Sculpture itself is one of the oldest forms of art. Long before history was recorded, people sculpted freestanding figurines out of bone, small rocks and other things. Much of early sculpture was religious iconography, such as miniature figurines of gods that were used in shrines. It wasn't really until the Renaissance that art became personal and secular. This is when some of the most famous sculptures, like Michaelangelo's "David," were sculpted.

Size

One of the world's largest and most famous freestanding sculptures.

"Free-standing sculpture" to many people means a massive, larger-than-life representation of a human figure. There are, in fact, sculptures of all shapes and sizes. The historical tiny figurines were likely no more than a few inches tall. They can also be incredibly massive, such as the Egyptian Sphinx or the Statue of Liberty in New York City. A freestanding sculpture merely needs to represent a three-dimensional object. Whether or not the sculpture is considered "art" is a very different subject.

References

• Knowledge Rush: Sculpture
• NewsDial: History of Sculpture
• Visual Arts, Cork: Sculpture, 3-D Art

Resources

• University of Texas: Freestanding Sculpture--Gods, Heroes