Outdoor Sculptures by the West Lake

Noted for its elegant gardens, Gushan(Solitary Hill) Park in Hangzhouhas recently embellished its land-scape with over 50 sculptures, byartists from China, the U.S., the U.K., Italy,the Republic of Korea and Slovakia.

CLAY BUDDHIST SCULPTURES

Asang in His Clay Sculpture Studio One year after I had interviewed Asang I was to meet him again. The workshop was still called"Clay Statues Shop"located in the Barkor Street.Stepping inside,I was greeting by his two little apprentices.It seemed that they easily recognized me and smiled happily at me.

City Sculptures in Lhasa

Some 1,300 years ago,the 32nd tsampo of the Tubo Kingdom unified whole TibetPlateau and founded the Tubo Kingdom Lhasa was made its capital. From then on,the city of Lhasa fell prey to scrambles between various generations of Tibetankings and Buddhist sects.

Dazu Stone Carvings:Sculptures of Life on the Altar of Religion

ＤａｚｕＳｔｏｎｅＣａｒｖｉｎｇｓ：ＳｃｕｌｐｔｕｒｅｓｏｆＬｉｆｅｏｎｔｈｅＡｌｔａｒｏｆＲｅｌｉｇｉｏｎＢｙｓｔａｆｆｒｅｐｏｒｔｅｒＬＩＸＩＡ（Ｈｏｗｒｅｌｉｇｉｏｎ，ａｒｔａｎｄｅｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇｃｏｍｂｉｎｅｄｔｏｃｒｅａｔｅａｍａｒｖ...

Place Experience of Landscape Sculptures

Human beings rely on natural instinct to feel the world from the beginning of life, the experience in the spatial place reveals the essential point contacting man and environment, also sublimates the relationship between man and environment. To deepen the understanding of the experience in the spatial place, we shift the origin of environmental landscape design from "design environment" to "design experience". The essence of experience is to arouse perception, such as senses, emotions, spirits, thinking, action to participate, among which "form, space, quality" as the carrier of landscape sculpture's place spirit and experience co-form a complete spatial place imagery of landscape sculpture. Place experience makes people able to experience a more detailed and richer world, these construction activities bring innovation consciousness with inner vitality, and detail the means of man observing the world while seeking a pluralistic world.

Hypatia of Alexandria:A Fiercely Intelligent Woman

The novel Hypatia:Or New Foes With an Old Face by Charles Kingsley,published in 1853,provided valuable insight into Hypatia’s achievements and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her untimely demise.Kingsley’s novel portrayed a fiercely intelligent woman,Hypatia,who sparked the interest of many artists,particularly sculptors.They were eager to capture in their statues the personification of this remarkable ancient mathematician,philosopher,and scientist of ancient Egypt,Hypatia of Alexandria(355-415).This essay has two parts.The first provides a brief overview of Hypatia’s life and accomplishments.The second part focuses on four sculptures from the 19th century created by different artists:Hypatia(1873-1876)by the American Howard Roberts,Hypatia(1874)by the Italian Odoardo Tabacchi,Hypatia(1890)by Francis John Williamson,and Hypatia(1894)by Richard Claude Belt.The two latter works are by British sculptors.

Application of Chinese Ethnic Minority Themes in Contemporary Figurative Sculpture Creation

In the field of contemporary sculpture creation,the rich culture and historical depth of Chinese ethnic minorities have attracted the widespread attention of artists.These creations not only emphasize external features such as ethnic costumes,totems,or life scenes but also touch deep spiritual contents including historical stories,religious beliefs,and living habits of ethnic minorities.This paper discusses the integration process of Chinese ethnic minority themes in figurative sculpture creation and the inheritance of the profound spirit of ethnic groups in this process.At the same time,this paper also places the diversified expression and innovative practice of these themes in sculpture art in the context of the new era for investigation and explores the far-reaching influence of its development on promoting cultural inheritance and artistic innovation.

Color Sculptures by Zhang Runzhi

Zhang Runzhi is a clay sculptor who did not study art in college. Her sculptures, however, are popular and appreciated by people. She has created such characters from famous Chinese classical works as Lin Daiyu from Dream of Red Mansions; Lu Zhishen from Outlaws of the Marsh; Monk Tang Seng and his three disciples from Journey to the West; the White Snake, Xuxian and the Green Snake from Legend of the White Snake; as well as the Buddhas

The Birth and Custody of Infant Bacchus

This article discusses the visual aspects of the birth of Dionysus/Bacchus,the God of Agriculture,Revelry,and Wine,in classical art.It examines the historical and iconographic aspects of the infant Dionysus’s custody by two deities,Silenus and Mercury,in ancient classical art,particularly in Roman frescoes and sculptural reliefs,and its echoes in Italian Renaissance engravings.

Direct interpolation algorithm for pen-cutting of sculptured surfaces

A direct interpolation algorithm for spatial curves on a surface is proposed for pen-cutting of sculptured surfaces. The algorithm can carry out the direct interpolation for projective curves lying on the sculptured surface. It is based on the geometric and kinetic relationships between drive curves and cutter-contact （C-C） curves. It evaluates the parameter of drive curves corresponding to interpolation points by the Taylor formula. Then it gains coordinates of interpolation points indirectly by inverse calculation. Finally, it generates the motion commands for machine tool controller. This method extends the locus-controlled function in the computer numerical control （CNC） system effectively and improves the efficiency for the numerical control （NC） machining of sculptured surfaces. The simulation shows that the proposed algorithm is feasible and practical. This algorithm can also be applied to the machining of the whole surface.

A NEW ALGORITHM BASED ON TRIANGULATION FOR 5 AXIS MACHINING OF SCULPTURED SURFACES

NC machining path of sculptured surfaces in CAD/CAM system plays an important role on manufacture. This paper describes a new algorithm for 5 axis machining of sculptured surfaces and the algorithm is interference free. The approach includes: (1) the tesselation of the parametric surfaces into triangles; (2) building topological relations among triangles;(3) 5 axis tool path generation; (4) interference detection and tool position correction.

Landscape Architecture and Sculpture Made A New Structure of A New Era

Landscape design and sculpture art have gradually integrated into each other, as sculptures are no longer limited in art galleries but adapted to various environments, and gardens are trying to make earth into a great work of art by using sculptures. The interpenetrating and tolerance of sculpture and garden has changed the appearance of environmental landscape, and led to a new era of art and design.

Explanation of the Significance of Constructing Regional Public Art with the Example of City Sculpture——Urban Sculpture Design at the Entry of Xiasi County of Southeast Guizhou

By analyzing the role of public art in the construction and development of urban landscape, the concept of public art and its regional meaning are analyzed, the relation between public art and city sculpture is explained, it is pointed out that city sculpture could enhance the landscape of urban space and enrich public art. The functions of city sculpture are expounded in details, including guiding spatial communication, creating the sociality of humanistic environment, and communicating space with human. With the design of city sculpture at the entrance of Xiasi County in Southeast part of Guizhou Province for example, its location and status are analyzed, highlighting its special location advantages as well as the historical business climate, the sculpture integrates the ancient corn which represents commercial culture with butterfly which embodies the totem of Miao nationalities in Southeast Guizhou Province, therefore brings both the visual impact and culture features. Here the significance of regional city sculpture is summarized, it is emphasized that the city sculpture is the material carrier of city culture, the cultural source of original design elements and the concrete manifestation of regional spirit.

Realization Methodology of a 5-axis Spline Interpolator in an Open CNC System

By making use of the advantages of non-uniform rational B-spline （NURBS） curves to represent spatial curves, an instruction format with double NURBS curves suitable for 5-axis coordinated real-time interpolation is presented to replace the current 5-axis coordinated linear interpolation method defective in low-speed, low-accuracy and enormous numerical control （NC） files in sculptured surface machining. A generation procedure of the NC files with the presented format is introduced and the method to realize the interpolation in an open computer numerical control （CNC） system is developed by ourselves. These illustrated the feasibility of the proposed method and its capability of avoiding all the shortages of 5-axis linear interpolation method.

Tool Positioning Algorithm Based on Smooth Tool Paths for 5-axis Machining of Sculptured Surfaces

The current research of the 5-axis tool positioning algorithm mainly focuses on searching the local optimal tool position without gouging and interference at a cutter contact（CC） point,while not considering the smoothness and continuity of a whole tool path.When the surface curvature varies significantly,a local abrupt change of tool paths will happen.The abrupt change has a great influence on surface machining quality.In order to keep generated tool paths smooth and continuous,a five-axis tool positioning algorithm based on smooth tool paths is presented.Firstly,the inclination angle,the tilt angle and offset distance of the tool at a CC point are used as design variables,and the machining strip width is used as an objective function,an optimization model of a local tool positioning algorithm is thus established.Then,a vector equation of tool path is derived by using the above optimization model.By analyzing the equation,the main factors affecting the tool path quality are obtained.Finally,a new tool position optimization model is established,and the detailed process of tool position optimization is also given.An experiment is conducted to machine an aircraft turbine blade by using the proposed algorithm on a 5-axis blade grinding machine,and the machined blade surface is measured with a coordinate measuring machine（CMM）.Experimental and measured results show that the proposed algorithm can ensure tool paths are smooth and continuous,improve the tool path quality,avoid the local abrupt change of tool paths,and enhance machining quality and machining efficiency of sculptured surfaces.

On the Function of Wall Sculpturing in Xylem Conduits

The water-conducting network of capillaries in vascular plants has evolved over hundreds of millions of years in order to be able to cope with bubble clogging,a problem which also affects modern microfluidic devices.Decades of anatomical studies have revealed that plants growing in habitats in which the formation of bubbles,or emboli,is likely to be a frequent occurrence often have various forms of geometrical sculpturing on the internal surfaces of the xylem conduits.The possible function of such wall sculpturing has long been the subject of speculation.We have investigated the hypothesis that wall sculpturing is a functional adaptation designed to increase the wettability of the walls of xylem conduits,an effect which could be described as the inverse of the well-known lotus-effect.Our results show that wall sculpturing does enhance wettability.Importantly,theoretical calculations reveal that the geometric parameters of various types of wall sculpturing are such that the resulting surfaces are sufficiently rough to enhance wettability,but not significantly rougher.The results provide an appealing answer to the long-standing debate on the function of wall sculpturing in xylem conduits,and may provide biomimetic clues for new approaches to the removal of bubbles in microfluidic channels.

NON-CONTACT MEASUREMENT OF SCULPTURED SURFACE OF ROTATION

A method for measuring the sculptured surface of rotation by using coordinatemeasuring machine (CMM) and rotary table is proposed. The measurement is realized during thecontinuous rotation of the workpiece mounted on the rotary table while the probe moves along thegeneratrix of the surface step by step. This method possesses lots of advantages such as simplicityof probe motion, high reliability and efficiency. Some key techniques including calibration of theeffective radius of the probing system, determination of the position of axis of rotation,auto-centering of the workpiece, data processing algorithm, are discussed. Approaches fordetermining the coordinates on measured surface, establishing workpiece coordinate system andsurface fitting are presented in detail. The method can be used with contact or non-contact probes.Some fragile ceramic and plaster parts are measured by using the system consisting of a CMM, rotarytable, motorized head and non-contact laser triangulation probe. The measuring uncertainty is about0.02 mm which meets the general requirement in most cases.