Episode 35: What IS That?

Modern sculpture is probably one of the most misunderstood methods to the vast population. Mary and Marie are going to try and help you understand a little bit at what you might be looking at, particularly when it comes to the ideas of form, shape, and subject when it becomes abstract.

Reclining Figure by Henry Moore

This is a great example of abstracting figures. He has many reclining women and figures in his sculptures, but they are often broken down into shapes and blob-like forms. Still, you can sort of fee a human form... if you tilt your head... yeah... that's it.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Boccioni

While this sculpture's human form is a little more recognizable than Moore's work, but the subject here is about movement rather than the being. Futurists, such as Boccioni, were interested in the motion that the human eye can't see and would depict it in this sort of abstracted motion.

Birds in Space by Brancusi

This modern sculpture was mistaken for a smuggling operation. It became a war between U.S. Customs vs. Brancusi.

Gnaw by Janine Antoni

Eat it! Seriously... Janine did. These sculptures are blocks of chocolate and lard that she chewed into until she had this final product. We definitely have one we would have liked to work on. Antoni didn't eat the remains, however. Instead, she put the "scraps" to good use:

Gnawed Detail Antoni

While Antoni, by date, wouldn't be considered a "Modernist Sculpture" per say, we felt a lot of what she does in terms of abstraction and playing with medium really fits in with the other sculptures' creeds and goals. She also adds another element to her work by performing the gnawing and work on these pieces in front of others.

What are some of your favorite modernist sculptures?