Assemblage

• Assemblage: an artistic process in which a three-dimensional artistic composition is made by putting together found objects

• A three-dimensional alternative to collage: a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a surface various materials not normally associated with one another

• Assembling disparate elements – often everyday objects – scavenged by the artist or bought specially

• Combines mundane objects in new and surprising ways

• Requires the viewer to question their relation to the world of objects around them

• Sometimes used as social critique or as an exploration of the fantastical and dream worlds

• Gives objects new meanings

• Makes creative connections between disparate elements

• Elevates non-art materials into the realm of art

• Every object has its inherent meaning and context

• Ontology

  • Seeks the classification and explanation of entities

• Every object carries with it a history, both objective and subjective

• How can we alter this history?

• How can we re-combine things to create new histories?

Louise Nevelson

• Louise Nevelson: New York Is My Mirror

• Born Kiev, Russia (now Kyiv, Ukraine) 1899-died New York City 1988

• She made striking assemblages of found wooden forms, and sculptures in steel, aluminum, Plexiglass, and other materials

• Assembled from reclaimed everyday objects

• Combined into a totality through a monochromatic coat of paint

• Her sculptures were imbued with a poetic harmony that converts the mundane into the mystical

Robert Rauschenberg

• Born in Texas 1925-2008

• Combines are hybrid works that associate painting with collage and assemblage of a wide range of objects taken from everyday life

• Neither paintings nor sculptures, but both at once, Combine invade the viewers’ space, demanding their attention

• Like visual puzzles

Consumer Culture: One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

• Artworks engaged with the idea that the acquisition or ownership of goods is a reflection of status and self-identity

• Conspicuous Consumption

  • is a culture where people buy goods for the primary purpose of showing others how much something costs and how much they have

• Artists explore or criticize in a variety of ways

• In our case, discarded and found objects

• Daniel Spoerri Eat Art

Ideas Around Consumerism

• Waste and Sustainability: environmental impact of consumerism and the importance of recycling and upcycling

• Materialism: the contrast between the desire for possessions

• Brand Culture: incorporate branded objects or symbols into their assemblages to critique the power of consumer brands in shaping identity and culture

• Disposable Culture: highlight the temporary nature of consumer goods and the resulting waste

• Consumerism and Identity: can incorporate personal objects or symbols that reflect their relationship to consumer culture

• Social Inequality: highlight disparities in wealth, access to goods, and consumption patterns

• Globalization and Consumerism: incorporate objects from different countries or regions to illustrate the interconnectedness of consumer culture worldwide

• Obsolescence and Planned Obsolescence: the concept of planned obsolescence, where products are designed to become obsolete or non-functional after a certain period

• Consumerism and Happiness: explore whether material possessions bring fulfillment or contribute to feelings of dissatisfaction and emptiness

• Alternative Economies: to imagine alternative models to consumerism, such as gift economies or sharing economies