Found Objects
Found Object, or 'objet trouvé' is a term from Modern Art (2oth century) describing art work created from objects found by the artist. These objects can be natural or man-made materials.
Pablo Picasso was one of the first to experiment with this idea when he affixed a piece of chair caining to his painting Still Life with Chair Caning (1912, Musee Picasso, Paris). Since then, found objects have been used in paintings, sculptures, collages, drawings and intallations. Artists of several art movements, including Dada and Surrealism, embraced the Found Object methodology in the early 1900's.
Pablo Picasso: Still-Life with Chair Caning
Sculptures made with found objects can be assemblages - an additive process. Parts are attached together with glues or hardware, then can be finished or left natural. A popular found object project for students is creating altered books. Old books are manipulated and combined with other materials in a meaningful way.
John Chamberlain; S; metal; 1959; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Unknown artist; fish sculpture; found objects; image found at
http://staffordartglass.wordpress.com/tag/found-art/
Some sites about Found Object Sculpture:
MOMA: Found Objects
Visual Arts Cork: Found Objects
MOMA: Surrealist Objects and Assemblages
Some artists who worked with Found Objects:
Smart History: Cubism
Louise Nevelson
Joseph Cornell
Some contemporary artists who work with Found Objects:
Chakaia Booker
Yong Ho Ji
Nemo Gould
Abby Reiser
Nam June Paik
Marina DeBris
Bill Woodrow
Sayaka Ganz
Artists Talking: Exposing Contemporary Visual Artists' Practice
Doris Salcedo
Stafford Art Glass: The Art of the Find