Throughout time, sculptures have always traditionally been set in stone, metal or clay. Today’s highly creative and technically advanced world has opened up the stage for sculptures that are far beyond anything the forefathers of art could have imagined. Using natural resources, sculptures such as sand art, ice sculptures and wood carving, or even functional sculptures that everyday found items such as mechanical parts, these artists have taken their medium to a whole new level.
1. Vissicitudes Underwater Sculpture
Jason de Caires creates statues that are found deep beneath the surface of the ocean. Rather than creates unchanging and lasting artworks, he uses the organic growth of coral and other organisms to naturally develop his sculptures into something very otherworldly. This sculpture, called Vissicitudes, took four hours per day over a full week to assemble underwater using scuba equipment. Depending on the size and nature of his sculptures, it can take up to ten crew members and five divers to assemble underwater.
2. Handbag Wood Sculpture
Hand carved by artist Livio De Marchi, this realistic handbag was created out of pine and balsa wood. The realistic touches such as the zipper and eyeglasses case peeking out of the bag front pocket add a surreal element to this sculpture, while the texture of the wood replicates the fine texture of quality leather.
3. Margarita Blender Functional Sculpture
Ky Michaelson makes fascinating and functional sculptures from various parts he finds. He gained fame for his collection of rocket chairs and rocket packs, but it is the quirky high speed margarita blender that would be a much coveted item in any home. The blender uses parts from a weed eater to power the machine, while other parts found in the workshop were added.
4. Mermaid Sand Sculpture
Sand artist Jamie Wardley and his team create life-like sculptures using the medium of sand. Having progressed from the more typical sand castles, sand art has become a very popular form of visual art. The mermaid sculpture is somewhat disturbing, but with fine detail and plenty of expression, this realistic sculpture creates instant visual impact.
5. Romantic Feelings Ice Sculpture
As the world’s largest snow sculpture, Romantic Feelings stands 115 feet high and 656 feet long. This ice sculpture was created in Harbin, China as part of the annual ice festival. The sheer size of this ice sculpture can really be appreciated when viewing the people standing at its base to admire the fine detail and craftsmanship of this sculpture.
From ice sculptures to underwater sculptures, one thing all of these works of art have in common is that they provide a taste of the huge level of talent, imagination and creativity found across the world.
About the author: Rory Peterson writes about a range of ice sculpture ideas, with a keen eye for unique ice carving and other ice decoration ideas. http://www.iceart.co.za