Modern Sculpture in the 1980s
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This paper will be concerned with modern sculpture in the 1980s. It will analyze the styles and trends that predominated during that decade. In addition, it will discuss the major artists involved in sculpture in the 1980s, their influences, and their major works. Sculpture in the 1980s differed from that of earlier periods in that there was a wider diversity of styles than ever before. In fact, many art critics resorted to using the label "postmodern" to express the fact that there had been no new organized movements in art since the early 1970s. In this regard, it has been noted that the American art scene in the 1980s was characterized by "the proliferation of sculpture in seemingly limitless stylistic approaches, techniques, and materials" (Friedman 7). One of the few things that most sculptors in the 1980s had in common was the tendency to create works which were personal and expressive, in contrast to the stark minimalism which was popular among the sculptors of the 1960s. Some sculptors in the 1980s, such as Richard Serra and Steven Woodward, persisted in working in a minimalist style. However, for the most part, the sculpture of the 1980s demonstrated "a strongly individualistic, 'hands-on' character that is different from the cool, seemingly depersonalized quality that emanated from the pristine cubes of Minimalism" (7). Despite the diversity in individual style and technique among the various sculptors of the 1980s, certain basic influences could be seen a
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pon the influence of assemblage. These artists created "new objects from consumer and kitsch items and from nature's or manufacture's fragments" (Higgins 119). One such sculptor was Eric Bainbridge, whose Holemasters (1987) consisted of "six towering assemblages of odd objects constructed from chicken wire and plaster-soaked scrim and covered in assorted fake furs" (118). David Mach and Edward Allington are two other British sculptors of the 1980s who adopted elements of assemblage into their works. It has been noted that Eric Bainbridge, David Mach, and Edward Allington all featured the use of "mass-produced consumer items in their work" (119). In this regard, it can be seen that these sculptors were influenced by elements of Pop Art as well as assemblage and collage.
American sculptors were influenced by these factors as well. For example, Donald Lipski created several works during the 1980s which involved assemblages of found objects. One such work, Lipski's Xalupax (1986-1988), is made up of various found objects which are suspended in random order from a wall. In many of his sculptural works, Lipski combined found objects in clever ways in order to arrive at interesting visual juxtapositions. In Passing Time #290 (
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Approximate Word count = 2673
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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