Structure in Sculpture - Tapa dura

This book lays out the fundamental structural issues of concern to creators and commissioners of sculpture, from balance and geometry to the structural characteristics of different materials. Schodek elucidates structural principles through examinations of work of sculptors that include historical figures like Auguste Rodin as well as contemporary artists such as Richard Serra, Alexander Calder, and Christo. Among the topics Schodek discusses are: basic stability issues (preventing sliding, overturning, and collapse); types of structure (frameworks, plates, cables, rotating works) and their behaviour under load; earthworks and landforms; and properties of materials and their influence on structural behaviour. He illustrates these topics with sculptures ranging from small free-standing pieces to the Statue of Liberty and the landscape interventions of Christo. Structural principles are presented in a way that can be clearly understood by the non-engineer, often with the help of sketches and diagrams. They will tell a sculptor, for example, if a work proportioned in a certain way will overturn or not when set on a base, or if a particular piece is big enough to support its own weight without bending or breaking. For the more technically sophisticated reader, Schodek has developed an extensive set of notes and appendixes that put the concepts introduced in the text into more mathematical language.