How to revive clay? Artistic modeling from chamotte

Passion for beauty directs humanity along the path of art. Sculptural creativity – the creation of voluminous works of art by carving, molding, carving or casting. Carving sculptures out of stone, the resistance of dense material is a rather laborious process. For the expressiveness of the plastic language, modeling is used with the use of plastic materials – clay, plasticine, etc.

What is art modeling from chamotte

Artistic modeling is a visual, attractive creation, reminiscent of the process of creating the world as a whole. Like the Supreme Creator, the sculptor is illuminated by the idea of ​​his future work and begins to execute – modeling – creates a form. Pliable clay subtly conveys all the features of the idea.

Sculptors of the creative workshop “Author’s sculpture” mainly create works from fireclay clay. What is fireclay? This is clay with the addition of already fired clay at the rate of about 30% of fine chips (0.2-2.5 mm) per working mass. Chamotte is formed in furnaces through sintering and is fired at a temperature of about 1500 ° C. Chamotte is called refractory clay.

Art modeling from chamotte is denser, more pliable and solid than from ordinary clay. At the first stage, the master takes the shape of the future sculpture by superimposing fireclay ropes on top of each other: the softened clay is rolled into a long round roller – forms the walls of the sculpture. And this is just the beginning! Artistic modeling implies mastery of the proportions of the human body, portraiture, understanding and embodiment in the form of the laws of harmony of form.

Art modeling from chamotte was widely used in antiquity. Thus, the famous Chinese warriors of the lost terracotta army were created – the burial place of Emperor Shihuang (210 BC). Numerous paleontological finds indicate the use of artistic modeling. For example, Venus among the Scythians, Greek terracotta figurines – coroplastics – artistic clay modeling of girls.

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By the way, “terracotta” is an Italian word, which literally means burnt clay. The purpose of the terracotta figurines was mainly ritual – offerings to temples, placement on home altars, associated with escorting a person to the other world.

Art modeling workshop “Author’s sculpture”

The sculptures of the creative workshop were mainly created by the method of artistic modeling from chamotte. Sculptor Alexey Leonov uses this technique especially skillfully. For example, in portrait art, thanks to the plasticity of chamotte, the artistic modeling of A. Leonov reaches a high degree of persuasiveness, a vivid perception of the portrait person is realized, the transfer of his inner world and character features through the chiaroscuro of the eyes, facial expressions.

Subject works are presented in a wide thematic range – from heroes of antiquity and myths to the embodiment of sublime states of consciousness in form.

All works, thanks to the texture of the chamotte and the peculiarities of the color of the material, are filled with inner movement – the life of the author’s spiritual inspiration.

Art modeling by Alexey Leonov affects the sensitive principle of a person. From the sphere of the spiritual world, the leading images are also imprinted in the form – sages, scientists, selfless heroes – mentors and teachers of wisdom. One of the most heartfelt images – Jesus Christ – is revealed in many ways in the versatile sculptures “Teacher of Love”, “Prayer for the Chalice”, “Great Traveler”, “Little Jesus”.

The author deliberately addresses the child’s manifestation of openness, sincerity, purity, kindness, capturing the best manifestations of the human spirit: “Prayer”, “Joy”, “Bringer of Light”, “Birds – Fiery Thoughts.”

The uniqueness of the sculptor’s work is the ability to penetrate into the realm of the spirit and bring the inexplicably higher into the form. Such creativity is a supernova phenomenon in modern art, like a star, which in its expansion emits light and transfers a charge of colossal energy to the whole world.