Series Defined

Henry Moore Maquettes

Plaster maquettes arranged on shelves in Henry Moore's Bourne Maquette Studio, Perry Green. Photo: Jonty Wilde.

Source: http://catalogue.henry-moore.org

Working in series is an excellent way to both develop a body of work, and to allow yourself to try out different ideas. When working on more than one piece, it is much easier to let go of perfection. You can take lessons learned from your first approach and apply them to subsequent works.

There are many avenues of development that can be taken while working in series. You can focus on form permutation, or how the form evolves through each sculpture. In this approach, the initial work defines an aesthetic, and subsequent works become variations on that theme. Elements that can be addressed in form permutation are:

  • proportion
  • volume
  • scale
  • edge
  • texture
  • cavity
  • plane
  • line
  • penetration
  • complexity
  • pose variations (if figurative)

Another method of permutation is to work with differing materials, and allowing material properties to influence aspects of the form. For example, plastic materials such as clay and wax allow buildup and teardown, texturing and smoothing, while limiting delicate and long projections due to the material's fragility. Wood as a medium can allow for elongated structural forms, and carving away, but not modeling. Stone and metal exhibit their own unique characteristics, which can be used to specific advantage. However, limitations in time, cost, facility access, and skillset strongly affect how well certain materials can be utilized.

A key tool for understanding series is to produce maquettes. These small-scale, quickly realized models help develop ideas. Maquettes are not necessarily made in the medium of larger, more fully realized sculptures. Rather, they are often clay or other pliable media that can be easily worked by hand or with simple tools. Other materials appropriate for maquettes are plaster (modeled while thickening, cut and worked while solid), wood, and sheet metals. The latter two (wood and sheet metals) lend themselves to construction techniques. Metal can also be formed.