8 Sculptors You Should Know

Antonio Corradini (b. 19 October 1688, Venice –d. 12 August 1752, Naples) Corradini, a Venetian rococo sculptor, is mainly known for his incredibly intricate and realistic veiled marble sculptures. He worked mainly on commission in Eastern Europe. He died just a couple years after completing what some people call his most celebrated piece "Modesty".

Ron Mueck (b. 1958, Melbourne) Mueck is an Australian hyperrealist sculptor who's pieces reproduce the human body in minute detail, and generally on a very large scale, causing the viewer to feel like a voyeur of a very intimate human moment.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (b. 7 December 1598 – d. 28 November 1680) Arguably one of the biggest pioneers in his medium, Bernini was credited with conceiving the Baroque style of sculpture. His attention to detail can be appreciated in how he makes his marble mirror the warmth and softness of human skin. True to the ornamental dynamism of Baroque, among Bernini's most skilled creations were his Roman fountains.

Dustin Yellin (b. July 22, 1975, in Los Angeles, California) A contemporary artist working in Redhook Brooklyn, Yellin has worked with multiple mediums, although perhaps his most notable work to date are his layered glass sculptures that come together to form a three-dimensional collage with dystopian themes, reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights". Yellin is the founder of non-profit cultural space Pioneer Works and as of 2016 is working with Google to develop creative virtual reality technology.

Jason deCaires Taylor (b.12 August 1974 in the UK) Graduating with a degree in sculpture and ceramics from Camberwell College of Arts, and becoming a certified scuba diving instructor at age 18, Taylor married his passions to conceive the first underwater sculpture park in the Caribbean Sea. Taylor’s pieces create intriguing underwater scenes, often depicting the mundaneness of life on dry land brought into an alchemic new environment. His work has been categorized as part of the eco-art movement. Dr. David De Russo wrote, "the sculptures are a living evolutionary exhibition as nature colonizes, and the sea and tidal movement deform their appearance developing a platform which will promote the regeneration of marine life. They are a means of conveying hope and environmental awareness"

Auguste Rodin (Born 12 November 1840 – Died 17 November 1917) Rodin, schooled in traditional classical sculpting, soon developed a unique style that set him apart from his peers. At the time, sculptures were decorative and calculated, and Rodin displayed a more chaotic, complex and turbulent approach to sculpting. Although he was sensitive to the controversy surrounding his work, he refused to change his style. Later on in his life, he came to be acknowledged as the greatest artist of the era— freeing the role of Sculpture from repetitive traditional patterns. "His popularity is ascribed to his emotion-laden representations of ordinary men and women— to his ability to find the beauty and pathos in the human animal." - Oxford University Press

Léo Caillard (b. 1985) Mainly working as a photographer, Léo Caillard garnered a lot of attention back in 2012 with his "Hipsters in Stone" series. Some of these images are photoshopped pictures, and some are sculptures he dressed and styled. By juxtaposing such classical sculptures with modern-day trivial elements such as phones and casual attire, we are left to question our own cultural footprint— and it makes for a humorous and intriguing combination.

Enrico Ferrarini (b. July 20, 1987, Italy) There's not much information available on Ferrarini, except for the fact that he is based out of Florence. His modern work, inspired by classical sculptures, has a digital component to it. He breathes life and movement into his subjects, which seem to be suffering, lonely, confused, fast, and in between dimensions. Keep an eye out for this budding young sculptor with a unique vision.

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