ICE SCULPTURE

Ice sculpture is a type or form of sculpture that uses ice as raw material during making ice sculpture. It can be abstract or realistic and also can be functional or purely decorative. Ice sculptures are generally limited lifetime and associated with special or extravagant events.

The lifespace of sculptures are determined generally by temperature of that environment as a result sculpture can be last mere minutes to possibly months. There is several ice festivals held around the world like the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival 2010, hosting competitions of ice sculpture carving.

Raw material

Sculpting ice focus a number of difficulties due to the variability and volatility of the material. Sculptures are generally carved from blocks of ice and these blocks must be carefully selected to be suitable for the sculptor's purposes and should be free of undesired impurities.

Ice may be sculpted in a wide range of temperatures and the characteristics of the ice will change according to its temperature as well as the surrounding temperatures.
Ideal carving ice is made from pure, clean water. So clear, transparent ice is a result of the freezing process and not necessarily related to the purity of the water.
Clouded ice is often the result finely trapped air molecules that tend to bind to the impurities while naturally freezing.
Technically clear ice is usually made as the result of controlling the freezing process by the circulation of the water in the freezing chamber.
Certain machines and processes allow for slow freezing and the removal of impurities and therefore are able to produce the clear blocks of ice that are favored by ice carvers.
White ice blocks look like snow and are sometimes carved. Colored ice blocks are produced by adding dyes to the ice and can be carved as well.
Clear ice and colored ice are combined to create a desired effect.

Various Sizes of ice Blocks

There are various sizes of ice blocks that are produced artificially. Naturally made blocks can be cut to almost any size from frozen rivers or from "ice quarries," which are essentially lakes or ponds that have frozen over.

Large ice blocks must be moved by heavy machinery and are used for large ice sculpting events or as part of an ice hotel.

Techniques

The temperature of the environment depends on ice and affects how quickly the piece must be completed to avoid the effects of melting; if the sculpting does not take place in a cold environment, and then the sculptor must work quickly to finish his piece.

Some sculptures can be completed in as little as ten minutes if the carver is using power tools such as chainsaws and specialty bits fitted to a die grinder.
Ice sculptors also use razor-sharp chisels and hand saws that are specifically designed for cutting ice.
Many sculptures are now created largely by machine. CNC machines and molding systems are now commonly used to create ice sculptures and complicated logos from ice.
Color effects are also possible by a number of techniques, including the addition of colored gels or sand to the ice.
This art form is traditionally taught in culinary schools using text books such as Ice Sculpting the Modern Way, Joseph Amendola's Ice Carving Made Easy and Mac Winker's Ice Sculpture: The Art of Ice Carving in 12 Systematic Steps.

Ice sculpture around the world

There area unit variety of international ice and snow sculpting events command round the world. the most important events area unit, command in countries with cold winters. because of land distribution and population densities within the higher latitudes, massive ice sculpture events area unit nearly solely command within the hemisphere.

A number of states, some listed below, have established traditions of ice sculpting and have created contributions to the art. Ice artists from these countries frequently seem at international ice sculpture events.

United States

Since 1989, American state has hosted the annual World Ice Art Championships. Nearly one hundred sculptors return from round the world annually to sculpt massive blocks of pristine natural ice typically remarked as "Arctic Diamonds."[4] The event is run nearly solely by volunteers.

In a typical year, quite forty five,000 spectators withstand the gates of the Ice Park home of the globe Ice Art Championships. The competition is weakened into 2 main categories: Single Block and Multi-Block and every competition is more separated into Abstract and Realistic sculptures. one amongst the foremost in style attractions is that the youngsters Park wherever youngsters of all ages will glide down ice slides or spin in ice twirly super.

Typically command the last week of Feb and also the 1st week of March, spectators could read the sculptors at work throughout the championship competitions.

Canada

In Canada, Quebec City, Quebec holds associate ice sculpture pageant annually throughout the Quebec City Winter Carnival. The sculpture pageant lasts regarding 3 weeks. For the sheer style of ice sculptures and also the range of tourists, the Quebec pageant is regarded by some because the best within the world. Each year, regarding twenty groups area unit chosen to participate within the competition. 1/2 these groups return from North American country and also the alternatives return from other countries. Ice sculpting began to become necessary in Quebec within the Eighteen Eighties, as ancient sculptors, like prizefighter Jobin, turned their skills on this less permanent medium.

Each year Lake Louise, set in Banff park, holds a 3 day event referred to as Ice Magic within the third weekend of January. Sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association, skilled carvers area unit invited to vie during this event staged within the shadow of the glacier-clad Mt. Victoria. Twelve groups of 3 carvers area unit given fifteen blocks of ice, advisement three hundred avoirdupois unit every, that they need to rework into ice sculptures in 3 days. Weather permitting; the sculptures can stay on show through March.

About ten klick East of Quebec City, close to Montmorency Falls and at intervals the grounds of the Duchesnay winter resort the primary Ice edifice in North America is erected every January. little and medium sized ice sculptures area unit wont to beautify the interiors.

China

In China, Heilongjiang Province is that the most important region for ice sculpture. the foremost renowned event is that the progressively in style International Ice and Snow Sculpture pageant command annually in Harbin. The pageant has systematically inflated in size over the years, with a lot of proficient artists concerned and a lot of spectacular techniques and items on show. Ice sculpture decoration ranges from the trendy technology of lasers to ancient ice lanterns. The climate of Heilongjiang is incredibly cold and ice is plentiful. Objects of all sizes seem, up to and as well as building-sized items.

Ireland

Not historically known for Ice sculpture, eire has made some well revered sculptors, winning The International Ice Sculpture pageant in Jelgava, Latvia, in years past. cf Duthain Dealbh.

Japan

The Japanese town of urban center on the island of Hokkaidō is known for its winter carnival, within which groups vie to make ice sculptures. a number of these creations area unit the scale of multiple-story buildings. Japanese sculptors have created several contributions to the art. Notable Japanese ice sculptors embrace Yukio Matsuo, author of "Ice Sculpture: Secrets of a Japanese Master," Mitsuo Shimizu, author of many Japanese books on ice sculpture, and Junichi Nakamura, winner of multiple world ice sculpting titles. Ice sculpture has been in style in Japan since the Nineteen Thirties associated an early advocate and teacher within the country was Shuko Kobayashi, the primary chairman of the Japan Ice Sculpture Association.

France

French cook Auguste Escoffier was chargeable for one amongst the foremost renowned early ice sculptures and French sculptors area unit regular participants at the globe Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Philippines

Most of the Filipino ice sculptors operating abroad (Hotel & Luxury Cruises) came from Paete, Laguna, alittle city roughly one hundred klick. east of Manila. The name Paete came from the word "paet", which suggests "chisel". Paete was declared by Philippine President gully as "The Carving Capital of the Philippines" as their speciality andmain supply of financial gain is carving. Yearly, Paetenians area unit having Ice Carving Competition all week of Gregorian calendar month, a way to celebrate their city party. regarding fifty young natives of this city are taking part annually.

Sweden

Each winter since 1991, associate ice edifice has been reconstructed within the village of Jukkasjärvi. ICEHOTEL, because it is thought, is that the oldest and preferred of {a range|variety} of ice hotels that have since been created in an exceedingly number of states. ICEHOTEL is built nearly entirely of ice and snow and every of the guest rooms feature completely different themes and elaborate ice and snow carving.

In 2009 associate ice sculpture pageant named ISSTJÄRNAN started in Sikfors, Hällefors, on the lake Sörälgen. The event takes place each year in Feb.

United Kingdom

The largest show of ice sculpting within the uk is that the London Ice Sculpting pageant. The pageant was organized in 2009 by Carol Cordrey and also the refrigerator. The competition is currently command at Canary Wharf.

The London Ice Sculpting pageant chooses completely different themes each year, and for the 2012 competition selected the themes harmony and Winter Sports. The 2012 winners were dessert apple thespian within the singles competition and Pedro Mira & Niall Magee for the doubles competition. Jonathon thespian conjointly won the general public alternative Award.

The pageant conjointly provides guests with an opportunity to undertake ice sculpting themselves with categories by the refrigerator. The 2012 London Ice Sculpting pageant featured categories targeted on a way to sculpt a husky dog.

Russia

An annual competition is command at Moscow's Gorky Park, Perm Gorky Park, in Salekhard and alternative cities. many Russian ice sculptors have won events at the globe Ice Art Championships, as well as Vladimir Zhikhartsev, Sergei Loginov, and Vitaliy Lednev