Junior Lecturer in Sculpture (Cat No: 297/2023) | Syllabus

The syllabus for the Junior Lecturer in Sculpture exam is categorized into several key modules, covering topics from the Fundamentals of Art to Contemporary Sculpture. Below is a brief overview of the syllabus:

• Module I: Fundamentals of Art
• Module II: History of Western Sculpture
• Module III: History of Indian Sculpture
• Module IV: International Contemporary Sculpture (1970–Present)
• Module V: Contemporary Indian Sculpture
• Module VI: Materials and Methods/Techniques
• Module VII: History of Kerala Sculpture Traditions
• Module VIII: Women Sculptors
• Module IX: Indian Handicrafts, Tribal and Folk Art Traditions
• Module X: Aesthetics and Art Criticism

Module I: Fundamentals of Art

• Elements - Line, colour, form, texture, light and shade, space, volume, movement, balance, and study their characteristics and behavior.
• Principles - Harmony, balance, rhythm.
• Gestalt theory, characteristics of space, volume, dimensions.
• Knowledge of elements and principles in the Art of sculpture.

Module II: History of Sculpture - Western

• PRE HISTORY
• SCULPTURE BEFORE HISTORY
• Oldest Prehistoric Sculpture - Materials Used in Prehistoric Sculpture - Types of Prehistoric Sculpture - Characteristics of Prehistoric Sculpture - History of Prehistoric Sculpture.
• Paleolithic sculptures
• Mesolithic sculptures
• Neolithic sculptures
• Materials and techniques
• Transitions from Old Stone Age to New Stone Age. From hunting to agrarian form of society, changing needs and forms of art. Beginning of religion, mythology, art, language and writing, Mother goddess cult, images, symbolism and their various forms. Tribal groups, religion and customs. Primitive cultures.
• THE ANCIENT WORLD – SCULPTURE (Ancient Art and Civilizations)
• Egyptian - The Pre dynastic and Early Dynastic Periods, The Old Kingdom, The Middle Kingdom, The New Kingdom First Millennium BCE
• Ancient near Eastern - Sumer, Akkad, Ur, Assyria, Neo-Babylonia, and Persia
• Aegean - Cycladic Art, Minoan Art, Mycenaean Art
• Greek - Geometric and Orientalizing Periods, Archaic Period, Early and High Classical Periods, Late Classical Period, Hellenistic Period
• Etruscan - Early Etruscan, Later Etruscan
• Roman - Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius, Early, High and Late Empire, Portrait Sculpture, Relief Sculpture, Architectures
• Early Christian and Byzantine - Christian Art before Constantine, Christian Art after Official Recognition of Christianity, Early, High and Late Byzantine Art
• THE MIDDLE AGES - SCULPTURE
• Early medieval - Anglo-Saxon, Hiberno-Saxon, Viking, Carolingian Sculpture
• Gothic – France, Germany, Spain - Architecture, Chartres Cathedral, Sculpture
• Romanesque - Architecture, Sculpture
• RENAISSANCE TO ROCOCO PERIOD - SCULPTURE
• Concepts, Styles, Master Sculptors/Artists and their Sculptures
• Renaissance - The Early Renaissance in Fifteenth-Century, the High Renaissance
• Late Renaissance – Great projects, portraits, free-standing, equestrian and tomb sculptures
• Mannerism - Mobile and ephemeral sculptures, variety of materials and colors, evolution and internationalization, centers and masters
• Baroque – Concepts, centers, images and forms, methods and structures of Baroque
• Rococo – Concepts, statues of great men, equestrian statues, funeral monuments, palaces, house facades, sculptures, and town planning
• THE MODERN WORLD – SCULPTURE
• Concepts, Styles, Sculptors / Artists and their Sculptures.
• Neoclassicism and Romanticism - Themes and styles, political implications, literary inspirations, the picturesque trend, portraits, Public/funerary monuments, sculptures ministering to architecture
• Realism and Impressionism – Concepts, changes of a new vocabulary in sculptures and public monuments, sculptors and their works from the new social legislation, painters and their sculptures
• Post Impressionism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau – Concepts, major sculptors, painters, and their sculptures
• The Barbizon school – Origins, characteristics, major sculptors and works
• Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - Key ideas, major sculptors and works
• The Arts and Crafts Movement – Concepts, characteristics, inspirations, sculptors and sculptures, architects and architectures
• Art Deco – Style and themes, influences, sculptors and sculptures, architects and architectures
• Sculpture before World War 1
• 20TH CENTURY SCULPTURE - WESTERN
• History and ideas, Beginnings, developments, manifestos, concepts, and styles
• Prominent Sculptors / Artists and their Sculptures
• Fauvism (1900–1935)
• Expressionism, German Expressionism (1905–1920)
• Cubism (1907–1914)
• Futurism (1909–1944)
• Suprematism (1913–1920)
• Constructivism (1915–1930)
• Dadaism (1916–1924)
• De Stijl (1917–1931)
• Bauhaus (1919–1933)
• Surrealism (1924–1966)
• Abstract Expressionism (1940s–1950s)
• Op Art (1950s–1960s)
• Pop Art (1950s–1960s)
• Arte Povera (1960s)
• Minimalism (1960s–1970s)
• Conceptual Art (1960s–1970s)
• Important Museums, Galleries, Art Historians, Philosophers, and Critics

Module III: History of Sculpture - Indian

• Prehistory - Ancient Art
• Prehistoric Art (3rd millennium BCE to 6000 BCE): Earliest rock carvings discovered, estimated to be around 10,000 years old, depicting scenes of human life, animals, and hunts with stone implements. Mesolithic rock art at the Bhimbetka rock shelters, Cist Burial Nagarjunakonda, dolmens erected by Neolithic people in Marayur, Stone Age carvings of Edakkal Caves.
• Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300 BCE – c. 1750 BCE): The civilization showed little interest in large-scale public art but had terracotta figurines and carved seals. Seals depicting figures in yoga-like poses, possibly deities. Famous bronze "Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro" showcases advanced modeling of the human figure.
• Vedic Period (2nd millennium BCE): Early Vedic religion focused on the worship of natural forces. Some artifacts with anthropomorphological characteristics emerge during the Copper Hoard culture. Artistic expressions in abstract pottery designs during the Black and Red Ware and Painted Grey Ware cultures.
• Mauryan Art (c. 322 BCE – c. 185 BCE): Evolution of Early Buddhist art and architecture, Achaemenid influence. Non-Buddhist forms, small terracotta figurines. Colossal Yaksha Statuary (2nd century BCE): The production of colossal Yaksha statues, often depicted with weapons or attributes. Emperor Ashoka's patronage of large stupas and the famous Lion Capital of Ashoka. Development of Mauryan polished stone sculpture, rock-cut caves.
• Shunga Dynasty (c. 185 BCE – 72 BCE): Development of Buddhist stupas, including The Great Stupa at Sanchi. Elaborately molded terracotta plaques depicting women, continued patronage of Buddhism and art.
• Satavahana / Andhra Dynasty (1st/3rd century BCE – 3rd century CE)
• Sponsorship of large Buddhist monuments, stupas, and temples. Artistic depiction of Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Focus on religious sculptures and inscriptions. Andhra and later periods - Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Bodh Gaya, etc.
• Kushan Empire (c. 30 CE – c. 375 CE)
• Inheritance of Greco-Buddhist art. Development of Mahayana Buddhism and human-like depictions of Buddha. Cultural syncretism and spread of Buddhism.
• Gupta Art (c. 320 CE – c. 550 CE)
• Emergence of iconic carved stone deities in Hindu art. Sculptures of Hindu deities, Buddha figures, and Jain tirthankara figures. Early Hindu temple architecture.
• Vakataka (c. 250 CE – c. 500 CE)
• Rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas.
• Chandella and Paramara (Central India, 10th - 12th century)
• Bhojpur, Khajuraho.
• Deccan Art of South-Central India (2nd century BC - 17th century)
• Satavahana (Deccan, 2nd century BC - 3rd century AD): Ajanta, Cave 9.
• Ikshvaku (East Deccan, 3rd - 4th century): Nagarjunakonda, early Buddhist monasteries.
• Vakataka (Deccan, 4th - 5th century): Ajanta, later caves.
• Kalachuri (Deccan, 6th century): Elephanta, Cave temple of Shiva.
• Early Chalukya (Deccan, 6th - 8th century): Aihole, cave and structural temples. Badami, Ellora, Pattadakal.
• Rashtrakuta (Deccan, 7th - 10th century): Ellora, Kailasanatha and later Hindu and Jain cave temples.
• Late Chalukya (Deccan, 10th - 12th century): Badami temples.
• Kakatiya (Deccan, c. 1050 - 1323): Hanamkonda - Thousand-Pillared Temple, Warangal - Svayambhu Temple.
• Vijayanagara (Deccan and South India, 14th - 17th century): Prominent architecture in Southern India, particularly at Hampi, and the continuation of temple tradition with the expansion of existing temples and large gopurams.
• Kanchipuram - Ekambareshvara Temple.
• Qutb Shahi (Hyderabad, 16th - 17th century)
• Golconda - Fort and Royal Tombs.
• Asaf Jahi (Hyderabad, mid-18th century - 20th century)
• Hyderabad - Chau Mahalla Palace. Deccan sultanates use Vedic techniques and adopt Persian influences. Invention of bidri ware and incorporation of Persian styles.
• Dynasties of South India (3rd century CE – 17th century CE)
• Early Cholas, Pallavas (275 CE to 897 CE), Pandyas - pre and post Sangam period. The names of the three dynasties, Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras, are mentioned in the Pillars of Ashoka inscriptions.
• Rise and fall of kingdoms in South India. Prolific bronze sculptures and temple architecture.
• Pallava (South India, 7th - 9th century): Kanchipuram - Kailasanatha temple, Mamallapuram - Pancha Rathas, Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance, Varaha Cave Temple, Krishna Mandapa.
• Chola (South India, 9th - 13th century): Thanjavur - Brihadeshvara temple, Chola Bronzes.
• Western Ganga (South India, 9th - 10th century): Shravanabelgola - Gommateshvara colossus.
• Hoysala (South India, 11th - 13th century): Belur - Chennakeshava Temple, Halebid - Hoysaleshvara Temple, Somnathpur - Keshava Temple.
• Nayaka (South India, 16th - 17th century): Madurai - Alagar Temple, Minakshi Temple, Tirumalai Nayaka Palace, Srirangam - Ranganatha Temple, Thanjavur - Nayaka Palace.
• Mughal Art of Northern and Central India (c. 1526 CE – c. 1757 CE)
• Mughal art flourishes with the patronage of emperors like Akbar and Jahangir. Persian artists bring their style to the Mughal Empire, incorporating Indian elements.
• British Period (1857–1947)
• British colonial rule impacts Indian art with the establishment of Art Schools. Western styles and Indo-Saracenic architecture. Bengal School of Art emerges, promoting Indian nationalism through art. Major artists and works, archaeologists and excavations.
• Pre-Independence and Modern Indian Sculpture
• Neo-Bengal School (‘Revivalism’ and early modernists), Academic / Professional Sculptors, Early modernists. Indian artists embrace Western styles and folk traditions.
• Major art movements in this period and sculptors/artists. Sculpture in the 1940s and 50s, International Modernism and Indian sculptors/artists.

Module IV: International Contemporary Sculpture (1970–present)

• History and Ideas, Beginnings, Developments, Concepts, and Styles, Prominent Sculptors/Artists and their Works
• The 1970s marked the beginning of contemporary art, which extends through the present day. This period is dominated by various schools and smaller movements that emerged.
• Contemporary sculptors/artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.
• Performance (1960s onwards)
• Emerging in America and Europe in the early 1960s, Performance art is an experimental art form inspired by Conceptual art. Performance is generally characterized by its "live" nature - the artist communicates directly with the audience, and its impact, whether amusing or shocking, must be memorable.
• Installation (1960s onwards)
• Installation art is a new art form which gained attention in the USA during the 1960s.
• Video Installations (1960s onwards)
• In the 1960s, artists began to exploit the medium of video in an attempt to redefine art.
• Photo-Realist Art (Hyperrealism) (1960s, 1970s)
• Photorealism was a style of painting/sculpture that appeared in the late 1960s, in which subjects (people or urban scenes) are painted/sculpted in a highly detailed manner, resembling photographs.
• Earthworks (Land or Environmental Art) (1960s, 1970s)
• Earthworks emerged largely in the United States during the 1960s. It uses or interacts with the landscape in order to create artistic shapes or "events," often re-fashioning natural forms or enhancing them with man-made materials.
• Post-Minimalism (1971 onwards)
• Artists were reacting against the rigid and impersonal formalism of Minimal art by focusing on the physical and creative processes involved.
• Feminist Art (mid-to-late 1960s onwards)
• Art made by women about women's issues. It first appeared in America and Britain, where various feminist art groups were inspired by the women's liberation movement, before spreading across Europe.
• Transavanguardia (Trans-avant-garde) (1979 onwards)
• The work of Italian artists during the 1980s and 1990s. Transavantgarde artists employed a free, figurative style with nostalgic references to the Renaissance and its iconography.
• Body Art (1990s)
• During the late 1960s, a type of performance art called Body art appeared, in which the artist's own body became the "canvas" for a passive work of art or which "performs" in a shocking way.
• Chinese Cynical Realism (1990s)
• A style of Socialist Realism adopted by Beijing artists post-1989. It offers ironic and satirical criticism of contemporary Chinese society. The movement is related to "Political Pop," a form of Chinese Pop art from the late 1980s.
• Neo-Pop Art (late 1980s onwards)
• The revival of American interest in the themes and methods of the 1950s and 1960s Pop-Art movement.
• Neo-Expressionism
• Artists sought to revive original aspects of Expressionism, creating highly textural, expressive, large works.
• Young British Artists (1980s)
• The Young British Artists (YBAs) first appeared on the scene in the 1980s and were officially recognized in 1997 in the "Sensation" exhibition. Influenced by early 20th century styles like Dada and Surrealism, their work is often called "Britart." The group consisted of painters, sculptors, conceptual, and installation artists working in the United Kingdom, many of whom attended Goldsmiths College in London.
• Young German Artists (YGAs)
• A loose movement of painters and sculptors trained at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst (Academy of Visual Arts) in Leipzig, East Germany. Their traditional training focused on fine art fundamentals, including draftsmanship, figure drawing, life drawing, grids, color theory, and laws of perspective.
• Digital Art
• The advent of the camera gave rise to digital art, allowing artists to combine art and technology, creating with mediums like computers, audio-visual software, sound, and pixels.
• Projection Art (21st Century)
• Projection art, also known as Projection mapping or spatial augmented reality, uses computerized projection technology to display artworks on surfaces like buildings, church facades, trees, etc., creating a postmodernist artistic experience.

Module V: Contemporary Indian Sculpture

• Present-day Indian sculpture becomes diverse, with artists exploring new directions. Increased discourse about Indian art leads to critical analysis and rethinking of contemporary art practice.
• Contemporary sculpture emphasizes the importance of form, the impact of industrialization, science, and technology. There have been changes in the aesthetic contents of sculpture and new trends in Indian sculpture. A comparative study about different arts and the problems faced by contemporary sculptors has emerged.
• The Madras school of art sculptors.
• Concepts and styles, prominent Sculptors/Artists and their Sculptures from 1960’s and 70’s to present
• The Madras school of art and sculptors
• Indigenous trends in sculpture
• Figurative-Narrative trends in sculpture
• Abstraction in sculpture
• Development of Installation, Multimedia, and Performance
• Important Indian Artist’s Groups
• Various artist groups that have influenced modern and contemporary Indian sculpture.
• Important Museums in India
• Key museums that house important collections of Indian art and sculpture.
• Important Galleries in India
• Leading galleries that showcase contemporary Indian sculptures.
• Organizations of Art in India
• Institutions and organizations that support and promote art and sculpture in India.
• Major Art centers in India
• Significant locations and art centers where contemporary art and sculpture thrive in India.
• Major Art events in India
• Noteworthy events that celebrate and exhibit Indian sculpture, both nationally and internationally.
• Main Art Education centers in India
• Prominent institutions offering education and training in art and sculpture in India.

Module VI: Materials and Methods / Techniques

• Clay (Processes and types and techniques)
• A brief History, Introduction to Clay and Types of Clay.
• Basic hand building techniques, surface Design Decoration techniques.
• Plaster of Paris cement/R.C.C. (Process and types, chemical combinations)
• A brief History of various mould making processes and techniques.
• Fiber glass - process and techniques
• Processes and techniques for working with fiber glass in sculpture.
• Wood (Processes and types and techniques)
• Introduction to various types of wood and its characteristics.
• Various methods of Carving and Techniques of Joining wood.
• Various methods of Sculpting wood, Tools and techniques.
• Waxing or Oiling wood for preservation qualities/properties.
• Stone/Marble (Processes and types)
• A brief History, Formation of stone, nature of stone, and its characteristics.
• Various methods of Carving and Techniques for Joining stone.
• Various methods of Sculpting stone, Tools and techniques.
• Metal casting
• A brief History of sand casting, traditional Indian and Italian techniques.
• Various metals, alloys, their composition, Casting process, finishing, related tools, and patina recipes in natural and chemical forms.
• Ceramics (Processes and types and techniques)
• A brief History, Different methods, Different bodies used in ceramics.
• Firing of ceramics and its temperature, Glazes, Different techniques of glazes.
• Embossing (Processes and types and techniques)
• Embossing of Metals, A brief History, Different Metals, and different methods adopted.
• Mixed media sculpture
• Assembling, welding, joining, fixing.
• Making of sculpture with Recycling of materials, Use of Readymade objects, Glass, Plastics, cloth, PVC pipes, Gears, ball bearings, Stainless steel sheets scrap, Pipes, nets, wire mesh, scrap of tools and machinery, and auto mobiles scrap parts.
• New media
• The advent of technology lent way to this new media practice. The infusion of art and technology to create with mediums like computers, audio and visual software, sound, and pixels.

Module VII: History of Kerala Sculpture Traditions

• Edakkal Caves
• Dolmens
• Ancient Epigraphic Traces
• Ancient Material Culture in Kerala
• Woodcarving Traditions
• Royal and Religious Materials and Cultures of Medieval Kerala
• Buddhist and Jain Art in Kerala
• Cave Temples and Rock-Cut Recesses
• Temple Architectures
• Islamic and Christian Architecture in Kerala
• Stone Carvings
• Metal Works
• Face Masks and Performance Art of the Region
• Contemporary Practicing Sculptors and Their Works from Kerala

Module VIII: Women Sculptors

• A Brief History
• Modernism and Women Sculptors/Artists
  • Concepts
  • Styles
  • Important Works
• Feminism and Women Sculptors/Artists
  • Concepts
  • Styles
  • Important Works
• Indian Women Sculptors
  • Concepts
  • Styles
  • Important Works

Module IX: Indian Handicrafts, Tribal and Folk Arts Traditions

• History and Cultural Evolution
• Forms and Functions
• Overview of Folk and Tribal Arts

  India has a rich heritage of folk and tribal arts. Art forms in India are exquisite and explicit, with every region having its own style and pattern, known as folk art.

  In addition to folk art, there is a traditional art form practiced by several tribes and rural populations, classified as tribal art.

• Handicrafts
  • Toys and Dolls
  • Wood Works
  • Puppetry
  • Musical Instruments
  • Stone Carvings
  • Metal Ware
  • Terra Cotta Traditions
  • Basketry
  • Leather
  • Papier Mache
  • Lippan Kaam
  • Shellcrafts
  • Textile and Mat Weaving
  • Bamboo and Cane
• Contribution of Various Scholars

  Scholars have made significant contributions to the field of learning in folk and tribal arts.

Module X: Aesthetics and Art Criticism

• Relevance of the Study of Aesthetics

  The relevance of the study of aesthetics in Fine Arts/Visual Arts.

• Early Philosophical Thoughts in Indian Culture
• Nature and Function of Works of Art in Society
• Concepts in Traditional Art
  • Rasa
  • Sadanga
  • Dhvani
  • Alankara
• General Principles of Indian Art
  • Art and Beauty
  • Principles of Image Making (Iconometry and Other Canons)
• Western Approaches to Art and Aesthetics
  • Concept of Art and Beauty
  • Idea, Imagination, Intuition, Form and Content
  • Sublime, Sympathy, Empathy, Creativity, Allegory, Myth
• Philosophy and Aesthetic Views

  Philosophers include: Plato, Aristotle, Alberti, Vasari, Bellori, Reynolds, Diderot, Winckelmann, Croce, Tolstoy, Kant, Hegel, etc.

• Theory of Avant-Garde
• Implications of Various Theories on Art Thinking and Writing
  • Semiotics
  • Structuralism
  • Post-Structuralism
  • Post-Modernism
  • Feminism
• Important Books on Indian Sculptures/Art
• Important Indian Art Historians/Aestheticians/Critics
• Important Films and Documentaries on Indian Art and Artists

How to Prepare for the Exam

Practice Questions