SCLP 313: The Human Factor

This studio course examines the resurgence of the figure in contemporary sculpture practice and provides a critical lens with which to explore how the human form can be represented. Through a series of assigned and self-directed projects, students will learn about the many ways in which contemporary sculptors are revisiting and remixing historical eras and figurative traditions and conventions to address a range of critical issues that inform contemporary sculpture practice. Students will be introduced to methods such as casting and moldmaking, modeling and armature production, and to materials that may include clay, plaster, and concrete and alternative materials as a means of producing figurative work through the support of relevant production areas. The historical and theoretical content of the course will provide students with the necessary grounding to broaden their ideas about how figurative work can by approached with a focus on contemporary issues. Research and critiques will be an integral part of this course.