Balance and Repeitition in Sculpture

Last year a special exhibition at the YCBA showcased the British sculptor Anthony Caro. With Caro’s pieces at the YCBA, the Exploring Artism program took a look at some of his pieces to spark discussion.

We began our session talking about Balance and Repetition: What is balance? What is repetition? Can you give an example of each?

We also talked about shapes, forms, and lines in our warm up discussion. Looking at a sheet on Shape and Form and a sheet on Types of Line, we were able to better understand how a sculptor thinks about his/her materials. How do these elements work together to create a sculpture? We went into the gallery to look at a Caro, but you can see the piece here.

This piece is called Table Piece XCVII by Anthony Caro. Looking at the artwork, what do we see? What shapes are within the sculpture? What colors? If this artwork were to make a sound, what do you suppose that sound would be? Participants each had a chance to share their sound with the rest of the group. Does this sculpture remind you of anything? What does it remind you of? Do you see an example of balance? What about repetition?

The next piece by Caro that we looked at is called Trefoil; you can view it here. Looking at this artwork, we asked ourselves some of the same questions: What do we see? What shapes? Colors? If this artwork made a sound, what would that be? Does it remind you of anything? What about balance and repetition?

Upon leaving the gallery, participants were asked to use the Caro pieces as inspiration in making their own sculptures. The Education Department acquired special kits to make our sculptures, but you can use Tinker Toys, FiddleStix, or create your own pieces out of cardboard. Here is an example of our set: Make a Sculpture.  Remember to keep shape, form, line, and movement in mind when creating your sculpture. Participants were able to color and decorate their sculptures as well. Everyone had the opportunity to share their final artwork with the rest of the group.

Remember that our next Exploring Artism session will be Saturday, November 16 from 10:30 to noon. Registration is free and can be made via email through the YCBA Education Department. We look forward to seeing you! 

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