Netsuke of the Meiji Period is an online exhibit from the Los Angeles County Museum, noted for the depth of its collection. (more). The György Ráth Museum and the Ferenc Hopp Museum also house a fine classic collection. (more). Today, netsuke carving is alive and well - see the Kiho Collection for one young master. If you would like to explore more sculpture for the hand, the International Netsuke Society has a good link list to many excellent contemporary netsuke artists.
posted on Jan 6, 2008 - View this thread

Ever had a yen for a table made from jet engine turbine blades or a desk fashioned from a wing or a cowling? Giancarlo de Astis and Moto Art are two high-end design firms that are creating eye catching furniture and functional art from scavenged airplane parts. You can see their work and the work of others in the aviation art community at InterFlight Studio. Or do-it-yourself-ers in the crowd might just prefer a Field Guide to Aircraft Boneyards.
posted on Aug 10, 2007 - View this thread

Chris Booth Sculpture: "Booth always creates his sculptures for specific sites. They are inspired by and honour each site’s local history, mythology and cultures and require intensive research, and consultation with local indigenous people. Usually gigantic in proportion, these phenomenal sculptures are amazing feats of engineering and balance ..." (via Ursi's Blog)
posted on Nov 26, 2006 - View this thread

Historical anatomy models were a marriage of art and science. From about the 13th to the 19th centuries, exquisite wax models were the state of the art. Florence's La Specola anatomical wax museum houses the works of master artists, such as Ercole Lelli, Anna Morandi, and Clemente Susini. The later years of wax models tended towards the grotesque: moulage and depictions of pathological conditions and physical anomalies. Due to the labor required and delicacy of wax models, papier-mâché became the favored production method in the 19th century, partly due to the ability to dissect the models. Over time, models became more stylized to protect the delicate sensibilities of the public. Today, models are again shocking the public with extreme realism.
posted on Aug 30, 2006 - View this thread

The penis project. (NSFW) An art project by Sue Long. "At Long's house, penises are everywhere. Cluttering the bedroom floor, standing erect on bookshelves, sticking out of potted plants, sprinkled throughout her back yard. Everywhere you turn, a penis is staring at you." (via oink)
posted on Apr 13, 2006 - View this thread

Big Man is the final sculpture in a current exhibit on Melancholy - Genius and Insanity in the Western World at the Grand Palais in Paris. Hyper-realist Ron Mueck creates imposing figures by playing with large and small scale. (warning: art nudity)
posted on Nov 27, 2005 - View this thread

The Figurative. A gallery of sculpture and mixed media figures that span the whimsical to the unsettling by 35 international artists . Alternate bandwidth-intense view: 160 thumbnails.
posted on Jan 3, 2005 - View this thread

Sculptural Robotics are whimsical "artificial lifeforms and other curious artifacts," mostly created from hard drive components, solar engines, and brass. Artist Dan Roe also links to Arthur Ganson's Machines, a portfolio of wonderful mechanical creations. Ganson in turn links to Tim Prentice's awesome Kinetic Sculptures - all are fun examples of when technology, machines, and art collide.
posted on Jul 20, 2003 - View this thread

Lawrence Northey's portfolio of robot sculptures. Meet the charming Teen Tokyo, the elegant Robot Queen and her entourage, and others in a delightful cast of characters. The artist creates some very cool rayguns too! Northey's works are in the spirit of Clayton Bailey, the robot artist extraodinaire. (via La Petite Claudine)
posted on Jun 26, 2003 - View this thread

Mille Fiori by Chihuly - a sweeping glassworks art installation marks the opening of the new Tacoma museum building. Dale Chihuly, one of the great masters of our time, also has an exhibit in Hamilton, NJ through July. Not content with stunning windows, walls and chandeliers, Chihuly creates towers, gardens, ceilings, and more, often weaving his work within natural elements to create fantasy waterscapes and landscapes. - more -
posted on Apr 26, 2003 - View this thread

Survival System Train & Other Sculpture - "atomic-powered cyborgs, quasi-animate freight trains, and other absurd and fabulous contraptions populate the universe of Kenji Yanobe. Welcome to the world of the future-past, the unkempt aftermath of Better Living Through Science."
posted on Mar 15, 2003 - View this thread

Butter sculptures can be rather elaborate, and are a folk art favorite at country fairs in the U.S. And on the other side of the globe in the ancient Himalayas, butter sculpting is an ancient symbolic tradition among Tibetan Buddhists, and is also an integral part of annual festivals and celebrations.
But in other dairy art, cheese sculptures haven't achieved quite the same level of dignity.
thanks to Wordforge for the Jim Victor link.
posted on Oct 23, 2002 - View this thread

La Speranza - take a surrealistic Sunday stroll through Viennese artist Luigi La Speranza's gallery of illustrations, watercolors, paintings and sculptures.
posted on Oct 20, 2002 - View this thread

These are not your grandmom's type of crafts. Twice a year in NYC and Chicago, SOFA (Sculptural Objects and Functional Art) holds spectacular exhibits to showcase the best contemporary sculptors and craftspeople throughout the world. The Chicago show is coming up October 25-27. Even if you can't attend, why not browse through images of past shows and links to more than 85 participating galleries?
posted on Oct 12, 2002 - View this thread