Recycled Art and Found Art Styles

By: Helen Saatchi

Recycled art can be described as art that is created with reclaimed materials incorporated into the piece. Found art is classified as any art that is modified or made from undisguised objects that are generally speaking, not normally considered art due to their proper functioning.

Recycled art and found art are becoming more and more popular with artists, to create awareness with the general public about reusing and recycling their unwanted or no longer needed items. Artists will commonly use objects such as broken saw blades, old sinks and other objects to create art. Found art was originally described by Marcel Duchamp in 1915, when he used the word readymade to describe his own art creation called the Bicycle Wheel that was made in 1913. A fountain that Duchamp created was made from an old urinal that he then signed R. Mutt. This is only one example of an artist using old objects to create found art or recycled art.

When an artist combines many types of objects into found art or recycled art, it is then called an assemblage. One example of this is Duchamp’s piece called Why Not Sneeze Rose Selavy? This piece was created from a thermometer, cuttlebone, birdcage and marbles that looked like sugar cubes. In 1936 during the Surrealist Exhibition of Objects, many sub-classifications of found art and recycled art had been created. Picasso was said to have used found art objects in his piece the Baboon and Young, where he used a set of handle bars and a bike seat to create a bull’s head.

Throughout the 90s, the YBA used found objects to gain reactions from the public. The most reactions were gained by artists such as Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst. Hirst presented pieces of found art such as a piece called A Thousand Years, where a rotten cow head with flies and the like was presented. Lucas presented an enlarged mattress with two melons as well as a bucket with a cucumber representing the human genitalia. Emin presented a tent with names covering the outside, with an unmade bed with stained sheets inside that was surrounded by slippers, stained undergarments and bottles.

Recycled art is also known as eco friendly art, as it incorporates items that would otherwise sit in a landfill. Artists such as Leo Sewell create unique pieces of art made from everyday items that most people would simply throw away and not think twice about. One piece in particular called Teddy Bear, incorporates small pieces of recycled art materials such as buttons, tiny pieces of toys and all were chosen for their durability and shapes. Nails, screws and bolts were used to place all the tiny pieces together to create a real to life teddy bear.

Recycled art and found art styles have been around for almost one hundred years. However, they are becoming more popular with Gen-X consumers, as more people are going ‘green’ and trying to be more eco friendly in their lifestyles while eliminating their carbon footprint.

Article Source: http://www.collectibles-articles.com

The Fine Art of Recycling. Recycled Art, junk art and trash art, mixed media artists, sculptures, Found Art and paintings.

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