Cai Guo-Qiang

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/10484/cai-guo-qiang-inopportune.html
This piece Cai Guo-Quiang's explosive technique translated into a sculpture and to an extent an animation. Guo-Quiang typically uses materials that literally explode, gunpowder. This process is incredibly interesting and is as much a part of the viewing experience as one of his finished paintings. There crowds of people watching him "paint" on of his installations.

  http://obviousmag.org/en/archives/2010/06/cai_guo-qiang_-_explosive_art.html

Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins's work is made interesting by its environment. He uses the very simple process of tape-casting to create life-like forms and structures. But they are brought to life because of where they are displayed. His work is like graffiti in that is on the street and in every day life but it has its own unique element because it is sculptural. I appreciate and respect the public aspect of his work; he makes it for everyone not just the small perecentage of the population that will wonder into a gallery.

Andy Goldsworthy

http://www.rwc.uc.edu/artcomm/web/w2005_2006/maria_Goldsworthy/TEST/index.html This is Andy Goldsworthy's website. I chose this artist because his process reminds me of both Tara Donovan's and Bill Woodrow's. All three artist's, especially Woodrow and Goldsworthy, use materials that are at their immediate reach; the difference is they are in two completely different settings. All three, particularly Goldsworthy and Donovan, tend to create very labor-intensive and time-consuming pieces.

Tara Donovan

http://www.acegallery.net/artistmenu.php?Artist=8 This artist actually attended VCU's Sculpture and Extended Media department. She makes beautiful pieces using extremely everyday objects such as straws, toothpicks, cups, etc. Her work is very elegant and complex even though it is typically made only from one material.

Joseph Smolinski "Tree Turbine"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/libbyrosof/2755106652/ I discovered this artist's work at the lecture on Tuesday as well. What I love about this piece is its functionality. I like the idea of artists creating things with a specific and useful task. The idea behind the "Tree Turbine" is that it is a solution to the complaint the wind turbines are too ugly, so like the cell-phone tower tree, Smolinski designed a Tree Turbine.

Inigo Manglano-Ovalle "Gravity Is a Force To Be Reckoned With"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/unequaldesign/4179657613/ On Tuesday I went to a lecture in which this piece was discussed, and I found it to be incredibly interesting. Perhaps the most impressive part is Inigo's use of the negative space around the sculpture; the fact that it takes the viewer so long to reach the actual sculpture really builds the anticipation and curiosity about the world inside of it.

Bill Woodrow

http://www.billwoodrow.com/dev/profile.php This link is to Woodrow's Site. Here you can see many of his works.

http://www.billwoodrow.com/dev/sculpture_by_letter.php?page=2&i=10&sel_letter=c This link goes directly to one of his sculptures, Car Door, Armchair, and Incident. His work is made from everyday objects and he connects his pieces to the source of their material. For instance, this piece is made from a car door and contians the door from which he made it.