Design Resource
Contemporary Cement Sculpting Camp
Agumbe, Karnataka
by
Prof. Bibhudutta Baral and Sandhya B.
Introduction
Concrete art is a composition of basic visual features. The group Art Concrete initiated the idea of ‘concrete art’. Only geometrical concepts were focused and tried to exclude lyricism and symbolism. This movement was intended to originate ‘directly from mind’ ideas. Over the period of time, the use of concrete turned into a user of another media over the abstract art concepts that were supposed to be made. Stone, glass, metal, wood and cement are a few of the materials from which the sculptures are made. Sometimes it doesn’t count on the media and the concept can be visually represented with available materials and this could be called an assembling technique.
Sculptural works appear freestanding such as statues that are not attached to any other surface, and reliefs that are partly attached to the background surface. There are addictive and subtractive methods followed while building the work. The term sculpture mainly describes the larger statues or monumental sculptures, meaning either or both of the sculpture is large or that is attached to a building. The contemporary sculptures involve a mix of new media invasions. Among a few types of cement, sculptures are the boom.
The contemporary cement sculpting camp organized at Agumbe by the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy becomes a great program for all the artists from respective sculpture backgrounds to meet and exchange knowledge on sculpting techniques on various topics and enhance. The sculpture camps help the young artists meet the seniors and the working brings an intense understanding of work ethics. This helps them to get to another dimension that the young artists could adopt while working solely.
The camp was conducted at Manipal Educational and employment trust. These sculptural camps are regularly conducted by the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy in various places. Through the wish of Mr. Balakrishna Shenoy (administrator of Manipal Educational and employment trust)the contemporary sculpting camp was prearranged in this misty foliage land of Agumbe for 15days that is from 2-06-2016 to 16-06-2016. Before getting into the work of sculpture the artists prepare with the concepts. The sculptures planned to construct are all focused on the traditional and cultural figures to represent the typical events of Karnataka, especially in the Malnad region. Sir M Vishveshwaraya, The Yakshagna performer, the Bootha Aata(regionally worshipped God), water buffalo and ploughing, ladies grinding grains and a few others are the sculptures that were made.
