In Be a Sculpture Critic section, learn how to critique sculptures by learning the elements of design and principles of design. Also learn how to compare and contrast sculptures.
After you have learned how to critique, select a sculpture and record your answers to the Write About It questions in a notebook or a digital document. Use the Sculpture Word Bank to help with your responses.
Google Drive/Classroom Users: You can go under File and select "Make a Copy" or "Print" to access the Artopia Sculpture - Write About It worksheet.
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Alexander Calder A Closer Look Artists often use humor. Bird by Alexander Calder is one example. Calder made a lot of humorous artworks including a film of his miniature circus, the Cirque Calder, in...
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Howard Finster A Closer Look Howard Finster liked to decorate objects with paintings of things that were familiar to him. This piece is a prefabricated bottle that he has painted. It has a cylindrical...
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David Smith A Closer Look Cubi XII has straight lines and angles, making it an excellent example of geometric three-dimensional form. It balances without falling over even though the form is not the...
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Petah Coyne A Closer Look Untitled #857 is heavily textured. The ribbons covered with wax and little white birds make the work look like a lighted chandelier hanging from the ceiling. How does this...
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Deborah Butterfield A Closer Look If you look at Untitled (3-85) from a distance you might think it's a real horse. When an artist is able to use the principle of design balance, as Deborah...
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Henry Moore A Closer Look Henry Moore’s work is organic, meaning that it flows and has a lot of curvy lines. Look at the outline of this sculpture. See how the spaces between and around the sculpture...
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Isamu Noguchi A Closer Look Do you think this sculpture could be considered stylized? Do you notice a resemblance between it and another in our collection? Noguchi simplified the parts of the body and...
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Edmonia Lewis A Closer Look We often hear that copying is wrong, but a good way to study techniques of art is to imitate the works of other artists. 400 years after Michelangelo, Edmonia Lewis lived...
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Anonymous A Closer Look Artworks made during a particular time and place often look similar to one another. We call them "stylized." Many artworks from the Archaic Period of ancient Greece resemble...
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Michelangelo A Closer Look Do you think this sculpture by Michelangelo is finished...or is the artist making a statement about slavery? What do you think he would be trying to say? There is a strong...