Art Lesson w/ Ms. Maggie: Found Objects
Let’s express ourselves by creating art using found objects.
What is a found object?
A found object is exactly what it sounds like! It is any object found by an artist that is used as a work of art. Marcel Duchamp used “readymades” as a form of art. This became a huge part of the artist movement called Dada which asks the question “What is art anyway?”. Have you ever thought about what art is? Are there objects in your home you view as art? Could you imagine flipping a barstool upside down to create a work of art in your own home? Learn more about Marcel Duchamp using the link below.
Look at this tool very carefully, can you tell what it is made out of? Artist Stacey Lee Webber uses pennies as her material to create tools. Could you make a sculpture out of pennies? What shapes could you build with this found object?
This wall of “No Parking” Signs was made by artist Cameron Jarvis. He says “As I began to explore Philadelphia on foot, collecting discarded objects became important to getting to know the city, and I began incorporating them into my art.” What are some items you might think are trash? How could you turn the trash into a work of art?
An important aspect of found objects are their form. Could you create a still life using objects in your house? Give yourself a set of rules such as “I will only use objects that are round” or “I will only use objects that are yellow”. For more ideas check out the Junky Funky Sculpture at Tate Kids.