Three-dimensional artwork of many types is generally referred to as sculpture. Most often, the sculpture appears fully in the round, meaning a viewer may walk around it. Sculpture that is mounted against a wall, with raised elements in front of a background of the same material, is called relief. Both in-the-round and relief sculptures are made using a variety of techniques. Sculptures made from stone, like marble, or wood are typically made using a subtractive technique like carving, in which the artist begins with a large piece of material and removes sections of it. Dating back thousands of years, this is the oldest technique for manufacturing sculpture. Artists like Alexandra McNamee continue to use subtractive techniques to make sculptures from stone and other natural materials. Artists may also use an additive technique, in which pieces are affixed to each other to create a larger work. Beverly Buchanan’s sculptural cabins, made of wood and foam core, are an example of work made by adding pieces together.

Sculpture may also be cast out of materials such as plaster or bronze. Casting sculpture involves using a mold, which allows the artist to create multiple of the same work. Fernando Botero casts his extremely recognizable figures of voluptuous women from bronze, while Xiang Jing makes editions of fiberglass sculptures, which have carefully painted details. Beyond these techniques, sculpture can comprise found objects presented with little or no intervention. The convention of displaying “readymades” as artwork began with Dada artist Marcel Duchamp and continues into the present with the work of artists like Romuald Hazoume, Balam Bartolome, and Ritesh Meshram. Depending on the intention of the artist, the sculpture may be displayed on a pedestal, directly on the ground or floor, or mounted on a wall.