A sculpture is a manually crafted, three-dimensional artwork created by shaping and combining materials such as marble, wood, glass or metal. A sculpture can take varied forms because of the methods and materials used to create one. Softer materials such as plastics, clay, textiles and soft metals are also used to create sculptures. A sculpture has been one of the more popular forms of fine arts and mankind has used sculpture as an important means of artistic expression through the ages. Sculptures are great symbols of tradition and have often been used by mankind to document the culture, religion, social and political life, geographical entity etc. of the world they have lived in.

A sculpture is one of the best representations of the human form and the quintessential expression of artistic genius. The way sculptures are represented today has changed but it still remains one of the more popular art forms. A sculpture has continued to evolve over the ages and presently we are in the age of modernist and contemporary representations and interpretations of sculptures. Based on the size and the kind of materials used for sculpting a piece of work, sculptures can be divided into outdoor and indoor sculptures. Outdoor Sculptures Outdoor sculptures have been found across centuries and include ancient rock carvings and monuments.

Religious shrines, palatial mansions, and stately buildings were carved and sculpted with the little tools available back in the day but some of them survive even till now. Marble is a popular material for outdoor sculpture. This is pretty evident from the existing sculptures dated centuries back adorning stately mansions, churches, and cathedrals. Modern outdoor sculptures are created using materials such as plaster, metal, glass etc. Sculptors today have more options and choices of medium to express themselves. Modern sculptures are not usually carved but are made from casts which have been carved out and the molten material is poured into the cast. Indoor Sculptures As stated earlier, the difference between indoor and outdoor sculpture is usually their size.

Space is oftentimes the reason why art collectors choose to go for an indoor sculpture than an outdoor sculpture. Outdoor sculptures are susceptible to climatic conditions and extremities, and therefore more indoor sculptures exist till today. Sculptures, in the form of busts, of famous personalities and celebrities, were hugely popular a few centuries ago. However, currently, figurative representations have taken a back-seat, paving the way for more abstract forms of sculpture. Modern sculptors use non-traditional materials for their works, and hence, there has been widespread debate over whether modern works of sculpture can be categorized under sculptures at all. On the flipside, there are also sculptures which do not last for any long period of time. These include wooden and ice sculptures. Ice sculptures have a very short life-span and usually do not last longer than the dinner function.