Sculpture is a three-dimensional visual art. Paintings, drawings, and photographs are all two-dimensional, or flat. Sculptures are most often shaped by carving, molding, or welding materials. Some are formed by making a cast—that is, by pouring a liquid in a mold and letting it harden.

Sculpture, like other arts, is often made to express thoughts or feelings. People who look at it might respond with thoughts or feelings of their own. Because it can have shape and texture, sculpture may appeal to our sense of touch.
Some sculptures are realistic. Until the middle of the 20th century, most sculpture was meant to look like some person or thing. The giant stone faces on Easter Island, like much traditional sculpture, may have been meant to honor gods or heroes. Other famous realistic sculptures include Michelangelo’s “David” and Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker.”

Some modern sculptures may be abstract. This means they only hint at an object or an idea. They may not look like people or things you would recognize. These sculptures try to communicate a pure feeling or idea. Sculptures come in all sizes, shapes, textures, and materials. Sculptors may use soft materials such as clay, wax, or wood or harder materials such as stone or metal. Sometimes the materials aren’t even meant to last. One artist makes sculptures out of milk! The modern sculptor Alexander Calder made sculptures that hang in the air. He called these “mobiles,” which means “moving things.” Another modern sculptor, named Christo, makes sculptures by wrapping such things as bridges, buildings, and even small islands in fabric and plastic.