The two forms of art; Auguste Rodin’s The Walking Man, 1905 and Richard Serra’s the T.E.U.C.L.A break with welcomed traditions and develops structures that are more in tune having the temper of age. The two sculptures are unique in the use of space, dimensions of time and space, the relations of human body; Rodin creates a sculpture that is more of a personal interpretation resembling how humans perceive our bodies (Swedberg, 51). Serra, on the other hand, comes up with a sculpture that is more of a public interpretation that should be experienced from the center. As such the two artists provide different opinion on how human body is viewed; Rodin offers the meaning through a sculpture while Serra goes to an extra mile to invite the viewer to come up with meaning from the sculpture.
Formal Analysis/ Sculpture
Rodin’s sculpture has a meaning that is given to us while Richar’s sculpture has different meaning which depends on the body viewing. Here culture plays an important role in shaping the art of work and its general presentations including the styles used. The religion of the people shapes one’s perception of the body in general. The interpretation of the body in relation to artistic work is in the first place created by the sculptor, the viewer at the end of the day can determine its meaning depending on his or her interpretation which is influenced by religion, social and even political factors (Tolstoy 64).The two uses different stylistic features, for instance, Rodin provides little ground for interpretation. On the other hand, Serra offers the viewer with an opening to enable him or her establish more meaning of the body. Culture is predominant and influences everything.
The two sculptures do not show any strange behavior; in fact, Rodin resembles any other sculpture, having no imperfections like in the case of Aristide Maillol’s Torso, 1938. Serra’s sculpture looks like that of a geometrically and asymmetrical sculpture (Richard, 48).This artistic work has different meaning and importance first; it reflects the way of life of people originating from the two cultures. It reflects the religions and believes of the cultures; it is clear that religion shapes one’s thinking and even perception. A closer examination of Rodin’s sculpture shows a giant and deformed sculpture, having cracks and holes both in the back and front; this is evidence of hard work. This depicts a culture that believes in hard work for a better future; the social order does not apply in this situation. The two sculptures were created using different methods, for example, Rodin was created using a clay model covered with a wax forming mold, and the mold is then filled with bronze hence forming the final product. This method of creating sculpture is old dating back to the Renaissance. The approach used by Serra is different through the theme is still the same, he uses an industrial method in which the metals are cut into pieces, they are then heated and then rolled into curved shapes, and this finally fits together forming oval shapes.
In the two sculptures, much attention is focused on the surrounding space using different ideas on the use of space. Due to space, the lighting of sculptures is totally different. Rodin is small in size having half of its body covered in light. Serra on the other hand, although much taller and larger is normally covered in darkness than it is in the light. Here religion and culture played a role, in the case of Serra covering the sculpture more in the darkness shows that evil does occur in the darkness than in the light. This is not the case in the other culture. Rodin’s sculpture occupies metaphorical space while Serra’s sculpture occupying literal space (Richard, 47).In the case of The Walking Man, bronze signifies human flesh. Serra’s artistic space takes much space and rises out of the ground, Rodin’s work, on the other hand, takes little space.
Regarding the passage of time, the two sculptures attempt to stop the effects due to time, but on the other hand, disproving it by the design of these two sculptures. In the Serra sculpture, the timeless logic is witnessed, the rusty medium outshines the timelessness using the thought that Serra sculpture has a time frame. The sculpture is also seen as a never-ending cycle, always in motion. Much of the historical messages are conveyed through these sculptures. The two cultures are different so is the way of life of the people. The beliefs and the practices that the people from the two cultures perform are different from each other; the two cultures contrast each other (Tolstoy, 69).As such some elements of the sculptures are the same, for example, and there is a sense of timelessness in the sculptures. From a keen examination, Rodin sculpture seems fragile; it looks like it was excavated from ancient ruin, this depicts the history of a community that has struggled in the past and is trying to rebuild. The two attempts to illustrate the meaning through what is seen or through what an individual can find via that which is hidden. The minimalist approach by Serra sculpture is a signal to a return to ease; this is witnessed by its geometric simplicity. The large size of the Serra sculpture forces one to experience it from within. This conveys and historical message, that is how the body space was inhabited. The sculpture is public hence the experience is not the same individuals inhabit themselves. Upon entering the sculpture, the real meaning is forwarded to the viewer. This is not the case in Rodin’s work; this is because for one to experience it, one has to walk around it. Unlike our body which is private, this sculpture is public.
Conclusion
The two artists though from different cultures use their sculptures to pass information about the meaning of the body. Their sculptures follow totally different approach and hence have different meaning depending on the viewer’s interpretation and his or her believes. Culture plays an important role in shaping one’s perception; two individuals from different culture can interpret the same sculptures differently. The style used in the two sculptures are different, this is a clear indication that even the culture of the two sculptures differs, for example, Rodin’s work provides no ground for interpretation. Much of the historical information is communicated in the sculptures (Swedberg, 65).The meaning of the body here is limited; it is not like in Serra’s artistic work is gives more meaning to the body. The space occupied by these sculptures is also different, Serra occupies the lateral space and Rodin metaphorical space, and all these are due to the difference in culture of the two art of work. Apart from the difference, the two works also share some commonality; one is that they don’t depict an extraordinary behavior; they are similar to other sculptures.
Works Cited
Top of Form
"Richard Serra: sculpture: forty years." Choice Reviews Online, vol. 45, no. 02, 2007, pp. 45-0672-45-0672.
Swedberg, Richard. "Auguste Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais." Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 22, no. 2, 2005, pp. 45-67.
Tolstoy, L. (2010). On the significance of science and art. Auckland: Floating Press.Bottom of Form
