Grey areas: Formal properties in the perception of sculpture

The focus of this research was to investigate the significance of formal properties in the perception of sculpture. Throughout the project, I considered how qualities such as shape, scale, materiality and positioning could combine to create dynamic and compelling sculptures, when there was no overt content or narrative. Considering the work of artists such as Robert Morris, Anne Truitt and Anish Kapoor, and studying movements and art forms such as Formalism, Minimalism and Installation, led to experiments with several materials and forms before constructing sets of non-representational paper sculptures. The final body of work comprised multiple installations, each containing similar sculptures of various scales, in similar colours and shapes. The differences within, and between, each installation were intended to provide a space for the viewer to perceive, and re-perceive, similar objects in multiple ways.