Volume2, Number 1 March 2011 Home Departments UK Art Scene Sketches Contours Detours About AFAS Printed Back Issues 16th Amelia Show St John's Concours Maher Profile Hale Revisit UK Art Scene Select Issue Welcome to the second edition of Contours... with this issue I would like to explore new directions, materials, and applications for and/of sculpture. I was going to start this column with a brief history of the different mediums used in creating sculpture, but I find that unimaginative and a bit reticent. As well as all the theories of what a great piece of sculpture should entail. You can find volumes of material that cover those points. Not that one should dismiss the history of sculpture and all that that encompasses, but for this article I would like to 'just move on'. Directions: Sculpture and all that that word implies is in my opinion quite transitory, it moves and 'shifts gears' with the whims and egos of the critics and clientele as they sift their way through all the movements and 'isms', such as Modernism, Postmodernism, Abstract expressionism, and Dadaism. The movement of Conceptual art of the 1960's and 1970's emphasized the artistic idea over the art object. In my opinion this leaves nothing for the future, and the same can be said for 'installations'. Our inner desire to express our human nature and leave 'the imprint of our emotion' on the minds of all who view it is paramount. So how does one do that if the art no longer exists? To be at the cusp of any movement can vault and individual to instant notoriety. This as I see it can be a double edged sword, as one must stand accountable for what one does, and nanoseconds of notoriety do nothing to enhance the world of sculpture, or the human sprit. New directions of sculpture will depend on many factors, materials, world events, politics, economies, but most of all how we react to those stimuli. My opinion then go ahead explore new ideas, never stop exploring, but make sure you leave something behind. Most importantly, Make It Your Best. Materials and Applications: The materials that we have at our disposal today almost seem limitless. Carbon fiber, Kevlar, silicones, resins, elastomeric polymers, metals from steel to titanium, wood, glass, and granite, offer the artist a virtual pallet of materials from which to create. Sculpture with complex surfaces that were not possible 50 years ago is now within reach. So how will these new materials shape our ideas of what sculpture is and what it can be? That is what you have to decide. In my opinion, always to use those materials that will last. Nothing lasts forever but what good is it to use a material that only has a life span of 4, 5, or 10 years. If for example an artist does not anneal a metal or glass sculpture properly, in order to remove the internal stresses and toughen it, what have they accomplished if it falls apart in a few years? One thing that is paramount is, permanence.   Applications for these new sculptures are almost as limitless as the materials themselves. In the past sculpture was primarily used to denote a person, event, ideology that had some relevance to the environment that they were placed. This would only impact those who came in direct contact with the piece it's self. Today however with the advent of instant communication this art form can be used to promote venues with a far broader reach than ever before. The impact of three-dimensional works of art seen instantly by millions cannot be understated. All one has to do is look at the recent historic events where the symbols of power represented by a toppling statue have spurred the resurgence of freedom for an oppressed people. Sculpture therefore in my opinion has a much greater possibility for impact than ever before. The challenge is there, you just need to explore it. Dennis Hoyt Tel: (503) 843-3457 7980 Blanchard Road, Sheridan, Oregon 97378 USA   16TH AFAS AMELIA EXHIBITION Visit with AFAS artists that showed their new work at the 16th Annual AFAS Amelia Island Concours Art Show. ST. JOHN'S... A NEW BEGINNING Continuing the Meadow Brook Concours legacy in an outstanding new location in southern Michigan. CHARLES MAHER PROFILE Elected to membership in 2009, we feature the work of the Society's newest member Britain's Gary Whinn. TOM HALE REVISIT It has been twenty years since our last feature of painter Tom Hale's work... here's a fresh look. UK ART SCENE Noted automotive art commentator and expert Tony Clark returns to offer his views on the continental art scene.                           Sketches    Detours    Contours    About AFAS    Journal Back Issues    CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS EDITION: Tony Clark Jack Juratovic Tom Hale Dennis Hoyt Charles Maher Jim McCarter Kevin Wilson and AFAS members Advertise with us  Contact Us  Privacy Policy  Terms of Use  Disclaimer  afasJournal.com Copyright 2010-2011 Knightbridge Publishing Inc, All Rights Reserved General Manager: Lindsay Evans Creative Head: Michael Koka Publisher: Jay Koka Knightbridge Publishing Incorporated PO Box 395, Waterloo, ON, N2J 4A9 Canada Site design, management and hosting by WEBVUES   The AFAS logo is the property of the Automotive Fine Arts Society LLC. Used with permission. The images presented throughout this publication are protected by copyright, the property of the various artists and are used with permission. 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