An Experiment in the Expressive of The Material Language of Contemporary Sculpture-The Example of the Spiritual Plight of the Elderly Living Alone in China

Abstract

This study aims to address the psychological state of the elderly who are now living without other family members in contemporary China and attempts to depict their mental burdens through artistic means through exploring the expressive possibilities and applications of sculptural material language. This thesis presents an attempt to exhibit the spiritual issues of China's solitary seniors through a public exhibition and collect feedback from the subjects to judge the material language of conveying meaning. The research topic and its artistic representation were addressed in a comprehensive way, with conclusions made from material experimentation and exhibition responses. The investigation also revealed how these components signified and defined limitations of material language in contemporary sculptural creation and ways of employing materials to articulate psychological dilemmas. The implications of these findings are substantial in relation to how mental health issues are conceptually expressed by contemporary sculpture. This research explores the irreplaceable role and its limitations of material language in modern sculptural art through how materials convey the gravest plight which the elderly suffers from, in addition to expressing the artist's sensitivity, life experience, and creative context.