We Investigate the challenge of positioning three-dimensional artworks
What is the first thing that springs to mind when you think of sculpture? Many people imagine the busts that new US presidents choose to display in the Oval Office. Others will envision grand exhibits in museums displayed on huge pedestals, or recall visiting a sculpture park where enormous monuments are displayed outdoors.
None of these scenarios are likely to match the environment inside your home, no matter how large or unique it may be. Browsing the pages of interior design publications, or catalogues of online sculptures for sale, you may see this type of artwork being used to decorate the rooms of regular homes.
However, very few of us are likely to have seen anything like this when visiting our own family and friends. Those first impressions that I mentioned in the opening paragraph are very likely to be the primary reason that sculpture has yet to find a place as a common component of interior home design.
What Kind of Sculptures are Suitable for the Home?
Many of the rooms inside a regular home will be much too small to accommodate the same types of sculpture found in museums and sculpture parks – however, like all other forms of art, sculptures come in many shapes and sizes. If you have struggled to find the ideal painting to use as the focal point in one of your rooms, could a three-dimensional artwork be the answer?
Stone and metal were the primary materials used by sculptors for centuries. These materials remain popular for large scale outdoor pieces, typically because of their low cost and excellent endurance and robustness.
However, smaller pieces designed for display indoors are not restricted by these requirements, allowing artists to use materials such as glass, porcelain, marble, wood, plaster, plastic, and even paper are all frequently used by sculptors when creating small-scale artworks.
If you intend to display several sculptures in the same place or room, it is probably a good idea to stick to pieces constructed using the same material to maintain unity and cohesiveness, however you could also choose to group your sculptures by a particular theme instead, such as people, vehicles, abstract, wildlife, etc.
You might also pick a sculpture with a similar theme to your regular, two-dimensional artworks already hanging on your walls. Adding a sculpture based on the human form to a room featuring many portraits, for example, makes for an excellent way to bring your drawings and paintings to life.
Which Rooms are Suitable for Sculptures?
There really aren’t any rules as to the type of room in which you could display any artwork – sculpture or otherwise. The entry hall of some homes can be very large, and a central sculpture might seem like the most obvious addition you could have made to such a room when you witness your new artwork on display there for the first time.
Smaller hallways and entrances can still be an excellent place for sculpture, provided there is adequate space for you to be able to view the artwork from multiple angles. Such a piece will always attract attention from your guests, and positioning a sculpture here ensures it can be seen by the maximum number of visitors.
However, make sure that your new artwork does not limit your ability to maneuver around the space – if the sculpture is so large that you and your guests must edge your way around it to access other areas of your home, it may end up becoming a talking point for all the wrong reasons.
If you have a home office or den, this is an obvious place to position artworks, including sculptures. If you have a piece that you particularly enjoy but don’t necessarily feel the need to share with every visitor to your home, this can make an excellent place to put it.
Alternatively, the living room or dining room can be another ideal display location for your artworks and are likely to be the rooms where you will entertain guests most often. A well-placed sculpture can help divert attention away from day-to-day items that frequently clutter up well-trodden areas of your home, whilst simultaneously acting as a statement piece themselves.
Placement on Furniture
Some sculptures are intended as freestanding artworks, but many smaller pieces will look strange or out of place when positioned on the floor. An ornate pedestal may be the de facto mode of display inside a gallery or museum but is unlikely to work so well in the rooms of an ordinary home.
Instead, look to display your sculptures on the top of traditional items of furniture such as a bookshelf or coffee table. The former makes an excellent place to display groups of very small sculptures, while the latter may be more suitable for slightly larger pieces, and particularly those that require the benefit of a full, 360-degree choice of viewing angle.
Some sculptors even choose to create traditional furniture with interesting features, such as lamps or coffee tables. These artworks allow you to enhance your room with three-dimensional artwork without taking away from your usable space.