At first glance, what we read in the last issue about customers’ desire for three-dimensional representations of bodies in cemeteries does indeed look like there is considerable potential for the natural stone industry. At second glance, however, the neuralgic points at which one can fail so wonderfully in the ambitious approach of creating a human […]

At first glance, what we read in the last issue about customers’ desire for three-dimensional representations of bodies in cemeteries does indeed look like there is considerable potential for the natural stone industry. At second glance, however, the neuralgic points where one can fail so wonderfully with the ambitious approach of making a person immortal in the form of a statue become apparent.

On closer inspection, this desire of society for the Metzen is by no means new. Representations true to the person have been found in almost all stylistic periods since antiquity. What colleagues have designed and created over the centuries never ceases to amaze us today. This is perhaps made easier by the fact that we did not know or see the living person, the original. But even if we ignore this aspect, these are generally brilliant works.

And this is precisely where our time strikes again with full force. Because for those who are serious about sculpting, the current electrifying technologies such as 3D scanning or puncturing robots are only of limited help. An example? A not really unknown natural stone company advertises on one of its websites with a copy of a person where everything has been done technically correctly and the copied result also looks passable.

Unfortunately, the bust does not look like the original. The article in question also shows, for example, hands that should have been more accentuated for our taste, even though the original may not necessarily have had accentuated hands. To regard statues as mere copies of human beings, the production process as a dull task to be accomplished by robots, is too short-sighted; the human perspective is missing.

Sculpture thrives on interpretation. To create good works, you need demanding customers and sculptors who are up to the task.

Sideways glances from STEIN in December 2013.

Authors: Florian Peteranderl and Michael Senn