Category: Art + Design

Sculpting the Human Body: 5 Interpretations

Since the first prehistoric figurines were carved in stone, sculptors have been molding, chiseling, and casting the human form. See how five of our artists have chosen to recreate the human body, using different methods and materials to breathe life into their sculptures..

Lorenzo Quinn, Hand of God, Aluminum, 13 × 33 × 13 in.

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QUINN: Classical Influence

Inspired by masters like Michelangelo and Rodin, many of Lorenzo Quinn’s figurative sculptures symbolize aspects of human nature—from love and friendship to spirituality and balance. Whether monumental or more intimate in size, each has a powerful sense of weight and a skillful rendering of human proportions. Quinn often focuses on the hands, which he believes are the most technically challenging part of the body to sculpt.

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Larry Schueckler, Wind’s Spirit, Bronze, 69 × 14 × 16 in.

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SCHUECKLER: Textural Details

Larry Schueckler frequently uses athletes as live models, carefully recreating the body’s muscles and curves. With this attention to detail, Schueckler aims to highlight the strength, both physical and spiritual, of his figures. His expressive, textural style makes each sculpture distinctive.

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Don Wilks, Balance, Bronze, 38 × 9 × 21 in.

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WILKS: Animated Movement

Don Wilks gathers inspiration from ballet dance and acrobatics, and is particularly fascinated by the elastic and fluid movement of the body. His figures are light and slender, with added texture that gives them a lively organic quality.

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Tolla, Dynamic Relation, Bronze, 45 × 17 × 14 in.

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TOLLA: Streamlined Symbolism

Simplifying her figures, Tolla breaks the body down to basic forms. The ambiguity allows these dynamic figures to act as universal symbols for humanity. With the omission of facial features and smaller details, you’re able to focus completely on the movement and gravitational pull between the figures.

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Sheila Ganch, Statuesque, Ceramic Stoneware, 31 × 8 × 6 in.

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GANCH: Elegant Abstraction

Sheila Ganch’s work pushes further into abstraction, as she accentuates the contours and twisting movements of the body. Whether she’s working with clay or bronze, she infuses her sculptures with an earthy, timeless beauty.

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