Description
TEJNE TOWARDS A MATERIAL HISTORY OF SCULPTURE
Book Summary
This work invites a reconsideration of sculpture from its most tangible essence: matter. Through a deep analysis of materials—bronze, marble, wood, or wax—the book demonstrates that these are not mere technical data, but active agents in artistic creation. The reader will discover how the technical gesture and the choice of the physical medium determine the meaning and belonging of a work to the field of art, offering a renewed and materialist perspective on the history of sculpture.
What is it about?
The book starts from a revealing premise: the material data that accompany the technical entries of sculptures in museums (gilt bronze, Carrara marble, linden wood, colored wax over plaster) are often read as routine and irrelevant information. However, the work demonstrates that these physical substances are decisive in the invention of the artistic work. Through an approach that prioritizes the tangible, the author analyzes how matter evidences a piece's belonging to the field of art, especially in the case of sculpture, where the technical gesture and workshop operations are fundamental. The relationship between material, technique, and meaning is explored, offering an alternative history of sculpture centered on its physical and material reality.
Main themes
- Material history of sculpture and its relationship with physical media.
- The role of bronze, marble, wood, and wax as active agents in artistic creation.
- The importance of the technical gesture and workshop operations in defining the work.
- Critical review of the conventional reading of museum technical entries.
- Matter as evidence of belonging to the field of art.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at art historians, fine arts students, museum curators, sculptors, and any reader interested in a more technical and material approach to sculpture. It is also of great value to those seeking to understand art from an unconventional perspective, distanced from purely aesthetic or symbolic interpretations.
What this book offers
- A new look at sculpture that revalues the role of materials and techniques.
- Tools to interpret the technical entries of works beyond what is apparent.
- An approach that connects physical materiality with artistic meaning.
- Deepening of the creative process from the workshop to the museum exhibition.
- An original contribution to material culture studies applied to art.
Technical sheet
- Author: AA.VV
- Publisher: Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. area d
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: SCULPTURE
- Collection: ART
- Binding: Others
- Date of publication: March 2019
- Number of pages: 210
- Weight: 448 g
Editorial review
This publication offers a rigorous and specialized perspective that enriches the study of sculpture from its material base. Its approach is especially relevant for professionals and enthusiasts who seek to go beyond the aesthetic surface, delving into the technical processes and material decisions that shape the work. It is a recommended read for those who wish to understand sculpture not only as form, but as living and significant matter.