Elemental Sculpture

Elemental Sculpture is a distinct trend in the contemporary sculpture.
Traditional sculptures in relief or in a round form are static, immobile objects or images. Their immobility and unchangeableness are part of the tradition that is invariably linked with the art of sculpture for centuries.
Elemental Sculpture incorporates the natural energies in the final result.
In the natural elements elemental sculpture finds a building potential, rather than a threat, thus placing a fundamentally new question about resistance: is it to be resistance in statics or resistance of dynamic interrelations - a question, answers to which begin to outline this direction of development of contemporary sculpture.
Detailed description of this distinct trend one can read in the book of Tododor Todorov “Elemental Sculpture:Theory and Practice” edited by Cambridge Scholars Publishing -
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This book examines the tendency towards Elemental Sculpture as part of a new level of relationship between man and nature in arts and in general. It presents in-depth research of contemporary sculpture, the roots of Elemental Sculpture and its development in the works of such well-known sculptors as:
Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, George Rickey, Susumu Shingu, Christo, Theo Jansen, Isamu Noguchi, Michael Heizer, Robert Smithson, Lucien den Arend, James Turrel and Charles Ross.
DANCE - wind driven kinetic sculpture
Todor Todorov was one of directly invited sculptors to place a piece of his sculpture for the Olympics, together with Dennis Oppenheim and Charles Jencks, among others. This sculpture will be placed In front of the National Grand Theatre ‘THE EGG’ in Beijing, China.
ROTUNDA
stainless steel, bronze - 16.00/9.00/9.00 m. - Helena Resort - Bulgaria - http://www.helenaresort.com/ - 360° view of the ROTUNDA
FIRST PRICE AWARD for 2004 Kinetic Sculpture in the KAO INTERNATIONAL KINETIC ART COMPETITION, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
MONUMENT THIRTEEN CENTURIES BULGARIA IN EUROPE "CASCADES"
a public water park with 14 implanted granite sculptures covering an area of 5,000 m2 - Shumen, Bulgaria
Authors developing projects in the area of Elemental Sculpture and Arhitecture.
Sculpturs:
Alexander Calder
George Rickey
Susumu Shingu
Christo
Theo Jansen
Isamu Noguchi
Michael Heizer
Robert Smithson
Lucien den Arend
James Turrel
Charles Ross
Architects:

Frank Lloyd Wright - Fallingwater;
Jean Nouvel - Louvre Museum;
Abu Dhabi David Fisher - Dynamic Tower;

Dubai Anna Kamenova - Green over Gray;
Maya Lin - Vietnam veterans wall -- Washington;

Chetwoods Associates architects - Wind dam;
Michael Jantzen - Wind Shaped Pavilion;
Diller & Scofidio - Swiss Expo 2002;
Elemental Sculpture
by Todor Todorov
This book is a research in the area of contemporary sculpture, describing one existing but not
explored tendency in development of relationship between sculpture and the natural elements,
which the author names Elemental Sculpture. Studies are revealing the context of places where
the sculpture appears - studio, gallery, museum, park, urban landscape, nature, and the impact
of these places on the development of sculpture. Inclusion of the elements in sculpture itself leads to a new quality - Sculpture-Nature, or Elemental Sculpture.
The author examines this tendency as a part of a new level of relationship between the man and
the nature in arts and in general. The book includes research of contemporary sculpture, and the roots of Elemental Sculpture and its development in the works of well-known sculptors as follows:
1. Barbara Hepworth - the beginning of the “interior” in the sculpture form
2. Henry Moore - development of the form-shaping sculpture’s “interior”
3. Alexander Calder - stabiles and mobiles
4. George Rickey - Walburg - cross
5. Susumu Shingu - Wind Caravan
6. Christo - Surrounded Islands, Valley Curtain, The Gates
7. Theo Jansen - Beach Beasts
8. Isamu Noguchi - Contoured Playground
9. Michael Heizer - Double Negative, City
10. Robert Smithson - Spiral Jetty

11. Lucien den Arend - Island x-ing
12. James Turrel - Roden Crater
13. Charles Ross - Star Axis
Sculptures created by the author following his own way in development of Elemental Sculpture,
during 35 years of his professional career are included and described from theoretical and
practical point of view. The same tendency of including the natural elements in architecture is studied and included as part of creativity of following architects:
1. Frank Lloyd Wright - Fallingwater
2. Jean Nouvel - Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi
3. David Fisher - Dynamic Tower, Dubai
4. Anna Kamenova - Green over Gray
5. Maya Lin - Vietnam veterans wall -- Washington
6. Chetwoods Associates architects - Wind dam
7. Michael Jantzen - Wind Shaped Pavilion
8. Diller & Scofidio - Swiss Expo 2002

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