Video Review

1.     In the video Through the Eyes of a Sculptor they discuss the process of creating a marble sculpture.  The process required a lot more work then I would have thought.  First the artist has to create a clay version of what they want the marble sculpture to look like.  After they are satisfied with the clay representation they create a mold using silicon and plaster.  When the mold is finished, it is removed from they clay and filled with plaster.  This plaster representation of the sculpture is then sent to a workshop that specializes in creating marble sculptures.  From there the artist chooses the block of marble they believe works for the piece.  Someone working in the workshop then carves away the big chunks of marble to create a basic shape of the sculpture.  When this step is finished another person carves the basic details out of the marble until the artist is satisfied and is ready to finish.  The artist takes over the sculpting process when they feel ready and carve the final details.  When they are satisfied they sometimes file down areas on the statue they want to smooth chisel marks out of.  The sculpture is finished when the artist believes there is nothing more they can do to improve the piece. 

The second video discussed glass blowing and creating ceramics.  Glass is created from melted down sand and minerals.  The artist uses a hollow pole to pick up some of the molten glass.  They blow in the opening as they shape the molten glass how they want.  The glass is repeatedly returned to the fire so it is easy to manipulate, and so when it cools the molecular structure is stable enough to handle changes in temperature.  Ceramics are created from clay that is fired in a kiln and painted with glaze to keep moisture out.  There are a few different processes for creating ceramics.  The temperature that the clay is fired at determines how hard or fragile the final product is.  Also the material the clay is made out of determines how hard the fired ceramic piece is.  One way to create a ceramic work is simply to mold it out of clay.  Another way to create a ceramic piece is using silt, which is watered down clay, and pouring it into a mold that absorbs the extra water.  This leaves behind a clay figure in the mold that can be glazed and fired. 

2.     Both videos related to the readings because the readings discussed the processes mentioned in the videos in much more detail.  Also, they show more examples and related techniques.  For example, the first video showed us the process of creating a marble statue of the human body.  Chapter 11 discusses the many different types of sculpting like low relief and high relief sculptures, and also goes into further detail of the processes of modeling, casting, carving, and assembling.

3.     I liked both of the films because they taught me something new.  The film on sculpture showed how the artist sometimes has to plan their work around the area it will be placed in.  The artist in the first video shows us his sculpture of two horses and a man he created out of marble for a fountain.  He goes over the process of placing the piece and describes how it connects to similar pieces in the same area.