Human Sculpture (Classical and Modern Art Series)

Author: (English) Tom Fortune, translated by Du Xiaopeng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The human body, as an artistic form, has always held a significant position in the history of art. However, it is only in the history of sculpture that its importance is so vividly demonstrated. In this ever-changing history of sculpture, Tom Fortune focuses on the human figure works created by sculptors from prehistoric times to the present, and makes a challenging statement about their significance in historical and cultural transformations. Amidst criticism and debate, he meticulously examines the human figure from the mythological Pygmalion to modern human figure art, as well as the performance art of contemporary artists promoting awareness of AIDS, thereby illustrating the various aspects in which the human body is used to express human inspiration, fear, and anxiety. By broadly expanding the history of sculpture to include more marginal art forms, such as wax figures, dolls, death masks, and robots, Fortune convincingly defines them as the specters of sculpture. The book recounts a series of contrasting images in the form of a novel, from Greek marble statues to street "living sculptures" in the 1990s. As we welcome the arrival of the new millennium, the human body continues to be an endless topic in the art world with its unique charm, and the ever-evolving scientific and technological advancements provide it with new spaces for exploration. Starting from a historical background, the book tells the story of three-dimensional human figure creation from a fresh modern perspective. Tom Fortune has written numerous works and articles on painting and sculpture, particularly on 19th-century painting and sculpture. He is one of the editors of Colonialism and Objects: Kingdoms, Material Culture, and Museums. His doctoral dissertation, "19th-Century Golden Ivory and Mixed-Media Sculpture," is currently being prepared for publication. Tom Fortune is currently a faculty member at the University of Sussex.