Blink Dagger

04/05/2021

Shadow Sculpture by Tim Noble and Sue Webster

04/05/2021

Pablo Picasso, Guitar, 1912
In 1912, Picasso created a cardboard maquette of a piece that would have an outsized impact on 20th-century art. Also in MoMA’s collection, it depicted a guitar, a subject Picasso often explored in painting and collage, and in many respects, Guitar transferred collage’s cut and paste techniques from two dimensions to three. It did the same for Cubism, as well, by assembling flat shapes to create a multifaceted form with both depth and volume. Picasso’s innovation was to eschew the conventional carving and modeling of a sculpture out of a solid mass. Instead, Guitar was fastened together like a structure. This idea would reverberate from Russian Constructivism down to Minimalism and beyond. Two years after making the Guitar in cardboard, Picasso created this version in snipped tin.

04/05/2021

Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, 1894–85

While most people associate the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin with The Thinker, this ensemble commemorating an incident during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) between Britain and France is more important to the history of sculpture. Commissioned for a park in the city of Calais (where a year-long siege by the English in 1346 was lifted when six town elders offered themselves up for ex*****on in exchange for sparing the population), The Burghers eschewed the format typical of monuments at the time: Instead of figures isolated or piled into a pyramid atop a tall pedestal, Rodin assembled his life-size subjects directly on the ground, level with the viewer.

This radical move toward realism broke with the heroic treatment usually accorded such outdoor works. With The Burghers, Rodin took one of the first steps toward modern sculpture.

04/05/2021

The Terracotta Army, 210–209 BC
Discovered in 1974, the Terracotta Army (arguably the most stupendous find in all archaeological history) is an enormous cache of clay statues buried in three massive pits near the tomb of Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, who died in 210 BC. Meant to protect him in the afterlife, the Army is believed by some estimates to number more than 8,000 soldiers along with 670 horses and 130 chariots. Each is life-size, though actual height varies according to military rank. While the features for each soldier appear unique, they’re actually based on 10 basic facial shapes, part of an assembly line process in which craftsmen used molds to fabricate the figures in separate segments before joying them together with a watered-down clay called slip. The soldiers were then outfitted with actual weapons (spears, swords, etc.) and painted bright colors, though over time, the pigment faded or flaked off completely.

04/05/2021

Bust of Nefertiti, 1345 BC

This portrait has been a symbol of feminine beauty since it was first unearthed in 1912 within the ruins of Amarna, the capital city built by the most controversial Pharaoh of Ancient Egyptian history: Akhenaten. Ascending the throne as Amenhotep IV, Akhenaten changed his name as part of his decision to overturn the established pantheon of Egyptian gods to start his own a religion: An monotheistic cult devoted to the sun god Aten, which was represented as an abstract disk in carvings and wall murals.

The life of his queen, Nefertiti, is something of mystery: It’s thought that she ruled as Pharaoh for a time after Akhenaten’s death—or more likely, as the co-regent of the Boy King Tutankhamun. Some Egyptologist believe she was actually Tut’s mother. In any case, her mummy has never been found though recent research suggests that she may be buried in room sealed behind a wall in Tut’s tomb.

This stucco-coated limestone bust is thought to be the handiwork of Thutmose, Akhenaten’s court sculptor. Distinguished by a naturalistic style that departs from the usually stylized character of Ancient Egyptian art, the bust was excavated by a German archaeological team and taken back to Germany. It has resided in Berlin since before World War II, and is now considered a symbol of the city.

03/05/2021

Императоры Янь и Хуан, Китай, 106 метров
Эти скульптуры возведены в память о китайских императорах Янь и Хуан. Строительство началось в 1987 году и потребовалось 20 лет для завершения. Их высоту 106 метров, расположенны в провинции Хэнань Китая. Правительство выделило 22,5 млн. долларов на строительство этих статуй. Глаза этих статуй шириной 3 метра, а нос - 6 метров.

03/05/2021

Сендай Дайканнон, Япония, 100 метров
Сендай Дайканнан - статуя высотой 100 метров, расположенна в Сендае, Япония. Статуя представляет собой японскую буддистскую бодхисаттву. Стоит на вершине холма, поэтому ее можно видеть из многих частей города. С помощью лифтов турист могут добраться до вершины статуи и осмотреть весь город.

03/05/2021

Статуя Петра Великого, Россия, 96 метров
Построена в память о российском императоре Петре I, который правил страной 43 года. 98-метровая статуя Петра Великого, стоящая перед Москвой-рекой в городе Москва. Статуя была спроектирована грузинским дизайнером Зурабом Церетели, использовавшим 600 тонн нержавеющей стали и бронзы. Весит 100 тонн, открылась в 1997 году.

03/05/2021

Великий Будда Таиланда, Таиланд, 92 метра
Великий Будда Таиланда - самая высокая статуя в стране, возвышающаяся на высоту 92 метра. ЕЕ строительство началось в 1990 году и было завершено в 2008 году. Статуя сделана из цемента и покрыта золотой краской. Эта гигантская статуя Будды была построена по принципам буддизма тхеравады.

03/05/2021

Великий Будда в Лингшане, Китай, 88 метров
Одна из самых больших статуй Будды в Китае, расположенна в горах Лонгшань. Статуя высотой 88 метров и массой 700 тонн, полностью выполненную из бронзы.

03/05/2021

Родина Мать зовет, Россия, 87 метров
Родина Мать зовет – статую, построенная в честь победы в битве под Сталинградом, которая проходила в период с августа 1942 года по февраль 1943 года, и является одной из главных битв Великой Отечественной войны. Расположена городе-герое Волгоград . Статуя высотой 87 метров, длина меча – 33 метра.

Статуя была спроектирована инженером Николаем Никитиным и скульптором Евгением Вучетичем. Более 7900 тонн бетона было использовано для строительства этой статуи, закончена и представлена миру в 1967 году.

03/05/2021