CHAPPAQUA 10514- WHO'S AFRAID OF FOUND ART?

The term found art, or in French, object trouve, describes art that is created from rather mundane objects, not normally considered art, because they have a common household or industrial function.   Marcel Duchamp was the originator of this concept in the early 20th century.  He assembled his first piece entitled Bicycle Wheel in 1913, the same year as his Nude Descending a Staircase was attracting the attention of critics at the International Exhibition of Modern Art.  His Bottle Rack is an actual bottle drying rack, signed by Duchamp and is considered the first “pure” example of found art.

The context in which a found object is placed, in a gallery or museum for example, is usually relevant  in understanding the intention of the artist.  Like Duchamp, the artist Damien Hirst has actually suggested that a painting can be considered an adapted found object, the object being the paint itself and that the entire history of art is based upon found objects. I wouldn't go that far!

The idea of dignifying commonplace objects in this way, was originally a shocking challenge to the accepted distinction between what was traditionally considered art vs. that which was not.  Museums typically show works made from traditional materials using techniques formally taught in art schools or in studios. Today however, museums are presenting works in more diverse media. These exhibits often showcase the work of a growing number of artists who reuse materials, and create new objects from cast-offs including old metal cans or rubber tires. Many new emerging artists are scrap metal workers with lots of imagination.

Flea markets are a wonderful place to source found objects. On a hunt for old toasters, I recently found a colorful 1918 vintage seltzer bottle which I filled with cologne and display on my bathtub; and, an old glass buoy, overgrown with barnacles, that sits on my dining table as a centerpiece.  With a little imagination and a fresh eye, the non traditional can be transformed into art. Found objects are usually affordable and make for some interesting conversation at the dinner table.