Autonomous forms : investigating materials through sculpture and technology in contemporary art

Abstract

This thesis presents the idea of understanding the monumentality of sculpture from its size, weight, and material and focusing on its physical matter to achieve a state of weightlessness using material and technology. This research investigates artists David Smith, Richard Serra, Robert Morris, Anselm Kiefer, and Arthur R. Woods, focusing on their artistic processes, the artworks they produce, their relationships to the materials they work with, and their approaches to the creative process. The research draws on theoretical and online video content, including journal articles, literature, and interviews with the artists. In addition, the researcher's artistic practice is unpacked as a result of the comprehension of the creative practices of other artists; this opens the door for the project to develop within the context of this study. In particular, the purpose of this study was to gain insights from practice and research as well as display the results through a creative approach that made use of various materials as well as technology in the form of sculpture.