Free-standing sculpture that is molded or carved is a type familiar to almost everyone. Although certain free-standing figures or groups of figures can have only a single side intended for viewing, others are completed on all sides. As with all other forms of art, the ultimate shape of a sculpture reflects the artist's vision of individuals or experiences represented by the work. Throughout history, people everywhere have discovered a need for sculpture as a record of events and feelings.
Materials which can be sculptured do much to contribute to the artist's imagination. Wood, stone, metal, and various types of plastic and synthetics are all used as sculpting media. When sculptures are made of stone, wood, ivory, or even ice, the sculptor carves or chips the substance to reduce it to the necessary shape. Developing a sculptured image on all sides represents a change from the older approach when artists left the back portion of the figure unfinished and rough. In fact, sculpture in relief is completely attached to the flat background material and appears to be a part of it. Relief, which is completed only on one side intended for viewing, was the first type of sculpture created by man, when ancient sculptors removed the background material in a side of a tree or a cave to make their drawing appear more realistic.
While creating a statue, the artist depends on the appropriate lighting to develop the figure because the quality of the final product relies on the interplay between light and shade. When the work is finished, the sculpture must be displayed in the same light as it was originally created. If a light from a source is too weak or too strong, the effect that the sculptor intended may be lost. For example, in painting, the light and shade give the image shape and solidity that cannot be altered by an external light in which it is displayed. When a sculpture is exhibited, the artist's work is brought to life by light, and its character can be altered by the control of the light source. A fundamental difference between a painting and a sculpture is that when viewing a painting, the audience can only see the point of view that the painter had intended. A free-standing sculpture can be seen from practically any angle. The job of the sculptor is then to attain the quality and the volume of the image from any possible point of view.
In addition to carving a work, sculptures can be cast. In the process of casting, a sculpture can be reproduced in a mold when a liquefied medium is poured into shape. After the material from which the sculpture is made hardens, the mold is removed, and the work is cleaned of the excess and polished. Casting allows the artists to produce as many replicas as needed. Most commercially sold sculptures are made in this way. Casting metals requires special care and skill. Bronze is the preferred metal because of its versatility and malleability. To make bronze sculpture, the space in a mold is filled with wax until it is melted by the heated metal. This process, sometimes called lost-wax, was favored by Benvenuto Cellini and was common among the artists in ancient China.