Ch 1.2 Form, Volume, Mass, and Texture

Main Ideas

Form, Volume, and Mass

Form, volume, and mass are elements of art—building blocks used to develop the principles of art—and describe three-dimensional objects.

• Form is an object with height, width, and depth.
• Volume is the space a three-dimensional object occupies or encloses.
• Mass is the sense that an object has weight, density, and bulk. In art, mass and volume are primarily visual and aesthetic descriptions, not measurements.

A hollow cube can appear to have substantial volume but little mass, while a solid pyramid appears to have more mass. Stone monuments such as the Sphinx and Egyptian pyramids suggest both weight and bulk.

A work can fill a large space while containing little material. The lecture uses Ghostwriter, made of small cast pieces and thin cables, as an example of high volume relative to mass.

Types and Subject Matter of Forms

Like two-dimensional shapes, forms can be geometric or organic:

• Geometric forms use regular shapes and structures, as in David Smith’s Cubi.
• Organic forms have irregular, natural-looking contours. Lino Tagliapietra’s Batman is described as undulating, without straight lines or flat surfaces.

Human bodies are organic forms. Symmetry—a mirrored appearance around a central axis—is often associated with beauty. In the Röttgen Pietà, Christ’s contorted body disrupts symmetry and conveys distress, encouraging an empathetic response.

The lecture also connects form to subject matter:

• Representational work depicts recognizable subjects, as with the Pietà.
• Non-objective work does not resemble a recognizable object from the visible world, as with Tagliapietra’s Batman.

In discussing Auguste Rodin and Constantin Brâncuși, the lecturer contrasts representational sculpture with Brâncuși’s more abstract treatment of two figures and the idea of unity in love. The passage describes a broader shift from representation toward abstraction in European art from the late 19th to mid-20th century.

Sculpture, Space, and Viewing

Relief sculpture is three-dimensional but usually attached to a wall, with relatively shallow depth and a preferred viewing direction. In high relief, figures project more strongly from the background; less deeply carved forms appear farther back.

Sculpture in the round, or free-standing sculpture, is designed to be viewed from all sides, giving depth equal consideration with height and width. It often appears more dynamic and lifelike than relief.

Open volume occurs when a form is suggested by separate components, leaving much of the space within it empty. Ghostwriter illustrates this idea.

Negative space is the space in and around objects or parts of objects. It can shape how a work is experienced, as in In the Blue, where open construction and light suggest being underwater.

Mass and Architecture

Rachel Whiteread’s House is presented as an example of strong, heavy mass. She made it by pouring concrete into a unit in a condemned housing block before the building was demolished. She won the Turner Prize in 1993.

Architect Frank Gehry is known for organic forms, which are more complex to engineer than the geometric forms typical of many buildings. For the museum in Bilbao, he drew inspiration from the city’s shipbuilding tradition and used aerospace design and computer programs.

Louise Bourgeois’s Maman, a large spider sculpture, contrasts with the museum. It has a large volume relative to its mass, including an open central section, beside the building’s more solid mass and volume.

Texture

Texture concerns the surface quality of a work—how it looks and feels. It relates both to tactile qualities and to how light reflects from the surface.

Textures can be described with terms such as shiny, soft, and mottled. Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, made of polished steel, reflects light and creates a shiny surface.

Subversive texture uses materials in unexpected ways that challenge familiar tactile associations. A fur-covered cup, saucer, and spoon remain recognizable objects, but their surfaces make them feel strange or unsuitable to use.

This kind of disruption is associated with Surrealist ideas: it unsettles ordinary sense perceptions and encourages viewers to question their habitual responses.

Speakers and Sources Featured

Speaker: Matthew French, the lecturer and narrator. No other speaking voices are identified in the subtitles.

Artists, architects, and works discussed:

• David Smith, Cubi
• Lino Tagliapietra, Batman
• The unidentified artist of the Röttgen Pietà
• Auguste Rodin
• Constantin Brâncuși (a sculpture of two figures is discussed, but its title is unclear in the subtitles)
• Rachel Whiteread, House
• Frank Gehry (museum in Bilbao)
• Louise Bourgeois, Maman
• Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate
• The unidentified maker of Ghostwriter and In the Blue

Other examples and references: The Sphinx and pyramids of Egypt, a Roman relief, the film The Sixth Sense, and Surrealism.