Art is rarely two-dimensional. A lot of visual artists use three-dimensional methods to create art – and they have done it for tens of thousands of years. The earliest sculptures are from as far back as 40,000 years BP! One of the best-known early sculptures is the Willendorf Venus, which you might have seen before.

Back in the day, three-dimensional art was created using clay, wood, stone, bronze and iron among others. Nowadays, artists can use nearly anything and are only limited by their imagination.

The key to three-dimensional art is shape and form. Shape and form can be used in two-dimensional art to create an illusion of space and three-dimensionality. To achieve this, many artists use light and shadow or colour (both of which you will get to know better later on). There are many types of shapes. Shapes can be round, pointed, two- or three-dimensional. A 3D shape is called a form. Some types of shapes and forms might be familiar from maths – they are also used in geometry. Mathematical shapes and forms have names, as you can see from the image below. However, in visual arts, the shapes and forms can be more expressive.


Check out this page to learn more about form in 2D art: Form in Art – How to Use It Effectively (And Avoid “Flat” Artworks)

In three-dimensional art such as sculptures, the main element of the piece is its form. Using shapes and forms, artists can create realistic objects or people, as in the sculptures in Ancient Greece. Sometimes form can be abstract, as in many contemporary sculptures.

Fun facts: There is a shape called “gömböc” (yes, that’s its real name!), also known as “the shape that shouldn’t exist”. It always ends up bottom down, no matter which way you place it on the table. Check out this video to see how the gömböc works!

Gömböc—The Shape That Shouldn't Exist

 

Think 1.2 A certain shape or form can make us think of a certain thing. Some forms are associated with emotion. Look at the following shapes and try to decide, which emotion suits which shape or form. There are no right or wrong answers.

Test 1.2 Use clay or plasticine to create small sculptures. Try to convey an emotion with each shape. You can pick any of the emotions from the following list. As in the previous task, there are no wrong answers.