Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet

Let’s get started! Rate these plastic arts from the most interesting (1) to the least interesting (5)

_____ drawing ______painting _____ sculpture ______ printmaking ______ photography

Introduction:

I. What’s the general prejudice about sculpture?

II. Waldemar Januszczak travels to some of the most spectacular artistic locations in the world
determined to prove that sculpture is ___________________________________________.
III. The series covers three topics – ____________, ___________ and ____________- with
each programme traversing the globe - from Easter Island to Africa, from Peru to Tahiti –
looking for the most impressive and weirdest sculptures in existence.

Sculptures on the map

In small groups, try to find the correct location for each sculpture on the map. (See handout)

 Check your work as you watch the videos.

Part 1 – Women

 Alison Lapper Pregnant (up to 7:05)

Where was this sculpture located?

What did people think of it? What’s Waldemar’s opinion? Why?

 Venus de Milo

First viewing: Answer True or False. Justify your choices

1. Venus de Milo was found by a Greek peasant.

2. The statue has always been white.
3. The statue represents a mythological character.

Second Viewing: Complete the story of Venus de Milo

What’s is actually being shown in the Louvre celebrated masterpiece is Venus winning a mythological
competition called “the Judgement of Paris” Paris, a mortal, was summoned by the gods to decide which of
the three goddesses was the most beautiful: Minerva the goddess of wisdom, Juno the queen of the gods or
Venus, the goddess of love. The winner would be given a special apple to mark their triumph; the apple of
discord.

The goddesses all tried to bribe Paris and Venus, the sneakiest of them, promised him the hand of the
famously gorgeous Helen of Troy. She knew he’d never resist that. So, Paris gave the missing apple to
Venus. And that’s the moment the sculpture shows; Venus receiving Paris’s apple and being officially
chosen as the most beautiful of the goddesses.

 Your turn! Compare “Venus de Milo” and “Alison Lepper Pregnant”:

Similarities Differences
 Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet

NOTES:

https://youtu.be/hPGMXOfHiT8 1 of 5

Director of the National Gallery in London: ( a much respected chap)

Waldermar thinks that sculpture is important and crucial

Sculpture is just something you trip over when you step back to take a better look at the paintings.

A widely held opinion, a prejudice: That sculpture is somehow an interesting byway of art; a nice addition
to the paintings. Actually it is the other way around. There is no more important art form than sculpture.

It’s the veal and end door of art

Three film about sculptures most important subjects: leaders, women, and landscape

Leader or god: someone we look up to and follow

Landscape: How we are always trying to improve it and sculpt it , fiddle with it and dramatize it

Women: First sculptures we see when we are born: our mothers

Sculpture has played many roles in many key human ceremonies, so they need to be flexible

Alison Lapper Pregnant ( 3:27 up to 7:05)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4247000.stm

Venus of Willendorf

The Sculpture Diaries Trailer (3:19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCMXKANoBgA

http://www.zczfilms.com/shop/films/the-sculpture-diaries/
 Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet

Waldemar Januszczak travels to some of the most spectacular artistic locations in the world
determined to prove that sculpture is the most important of all the arts.

The series covers three topics – Women, Leaders and Land Art - with each programme traversing
the globe - from Easter Island to Africa, from Peru to Tahiti – looking for the most impressive and
weirdest sculptures in existence. Featuring the work of James Turrell, Orlan, Antony Gormley,
Marc Quinn, Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt, this pioneering series traces the origins of
sculpture's most important themes back to distant prehistory

- See more at: http://www.zczfilms.com/shop/films/the-sculpture-diaries/#sthash.emEtQSib.dpuf

http://www.waldemar.tv/2008/08/waldemar-januszczaks-sculpture-diaries/

https://twitter.com/JANUSZCZAK

Venus of Willendorf

2 of 5

Fat human figure: Fertility

Nigeria: Home of twins Create a sculpture when a twin dies : sacred image born of two. They look after the
scultptures as if they were babies.

 Venus of Willendorf

2 of 5

What does the Venus of Willendorf look like? What was it probably used for?

What aspect of female nature is it associated with?

 Ibejis

What is so special about this town in Nigeria?

Why do people create ibejis?

3 of 5

Munchkins

http://nok-ind.tumblr.com/post/35562407853/beyonceisnotatragicmulatto

African statues Female Beauties

Venus de Milo: the embodiment of female beauty

 Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet

3 of 5? 3:30

When and how did a Greek peasant find Venus de Milo?

First viewing

Venus de Milo was found by a Greek peasant.

The statue has always been white.

The statue represents a mythological character.

4:55

Second Viewing 5:40

The world’s most beautiful statue.

What’s is actually being shown in the Louvre celebrated masterpiece is Venus winning a mythological
competition called “the Judgement of Paris” Paris, a mortal, was summoned by the gods to decide which of
the three goddesses was the most beautiful: Minerva the goddess of wisdom, Juno the queen of the gods
or Venus, the goddess of love. The winner would be given a special apple to mark their triumph; the apple
of discord.

The goddesses all tried to bribe Paris and Venus, the sneakiest of them, promised him the hand of the
famously gorgeous Helen of Troy. She knew he’d never resist that. So, Paris gave the missing apple to
Venus. And that’s the moment the sculpture shows; Venus receiving Paris’s apple and being officially
chosen as the most beautiful of the goddesses.

Why is Venus the Milo white know?

Compare “Venus de Milo” and Alison Lepper Pregnant

Up to 9.18

5 of 5

Freud

Sculpture has always been in the business of supplying standing.

Fetishe a substitution for something else

Spooky dolls
 Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet

The Sculpture Diaries – Power 1 of 5

He was more afraid of an army of a hundred sheep led by a lion than by a hundred lions led by a sheep.

Leaders not looking the part.

If there’s one thing sculpture is really good at is turning sheep into lions.

Someone to look up to and follow someone who guides you and inspires you

Video: Identify leaders. What types of leaders can you see? (political, religious, mythological, historical,
etc) Can you name them?

Intro Up to 2:50

Rushmore up to 5: 59

2 of 5

Colossus

Nero

David

(potency?)

3 of 5

0:50 Easter Island

To turn sb into and idol , something to worship. The leaders became gods

Solid rock, Ohio Jesus

4 of 5

5 of 5

Crazy Horse up to 1:40

3:44 Lenin
Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet
Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet
Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet
Art & English: The Sculpture Diaries – Video Worksheet