Whenever we visit a temple or monument, the beauty of sculptures always mesmerizes us. Recently, during the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the sculpturer Arun Yogiraj became a quite well known name all over the country, and even world. So, we thought of featuring a sculpturer in this month’s edition.
Sculpture is an artistic form in which hard or plastic materials are worked into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments ranging from tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator. An enormous variety of media may be used, including clay, wax, stone, metal, fabric, glass, wood, plaster, rubber, and random “found” objects. Materials may be carved, modeled, molded, cast, wrought, welded, sewn, assembled, or otherwise shaped and combined.
In Indian subcontinent, sculpture making has a long history. The first known sculpture in the Indian subcontinent is from the Indus Valley civilization, and a more widespread tradition of small terracotta figures, mostly either of women or animals, which predates it. After the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization there is little record of larger sculpture until the Buddhist era, apart from a hoard of copper figures of c. 1500 BCE from Daimabad. Thus the great tradition of Indian monumental sculpture in stone appears to begin relatively late, with the reign of Asoka from 270 to 232 BCE, and the Pillars of Ashoka he erected around India, carrying his edicts and topped by famous sculptures of animals, mostly lions, of which six survive. Large amounts of figurative sculpture, mostly in relief, survive from Early Buddhist pilgrimage stupas, above all Sanchi. These probably developed out of a tradition using wood that also embraced Hinduism.
The pink sandstone Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sculptures of Mathura from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE reflected both native Indian traditions and the Western influences received through the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, and effectively established the basis for subsequent Indian religious sculpture. The style was developed and diffused through most of India under the Gupta Empire (c. 320–550). Later, large scale sculpture remains almost exclusively religious. They are generally rather conservative, often reverting to simple frontal standing poses for deities. However, the attendant spirits such as apsaras and yakshi often have sensuously curving poses. Carving is often highly detailed, with an intricate backing behind the main figure in high relief. The bronzes of the Chola dynasty (c. 850–1250) are widely celebrated. The massive granite carvings of Mahabalipuram dating from the previous Pallava dynasty are also well known examples of grandeur of sculpture art in India.
In later dates, we see sculptures made in Terracotta, Stone, bronze, copper and wood in almost all dynasties of early medieval and late medieval era. The cave temples spread across the country are a great testimony of the developed sculpture art of that era.
Featured Artist
Pavan Balabhau Bambatkar is sculpture and modeling student from Sir J J School Of Art, Mumbai . Since his childhood, he was so keen on art and craft work, that it became practice in his day-to-day life. He has been Trying his hands on various art forms. And now, as a students of sculpture are modelling, he creates the beautiful sculptures using clay. We look forward to seeing your art at grand scale in coming times.
Instagram : @art_lover_pavan_bambatkar