Found Objects

Glenn Hirsch

Working on a found object creates another “layer of meaning.”

In this piece, a face painted on a ping pong paddle.

Serious expression, goofy object.

Which can also be held in front of the face as a mask.

Dassi Weinstein

Painted figure on an old suitcase says something about ‘personal baggage.’ (Numo Jaeger)

A Renaissance portrait painted on the back of a broken guitar (which has the shape of a head).

Mo Seder

Three skatboards hung together on a wall, with an oil portrait on top for an object about gritty urban realities.

A ‘bouquet’ of razor blades create an “edge” for a funny Valentine.

Broken dishes glued to a piece of wood, with a painted the portrait on top.

Julian Schnabel

Robert Rauschenberg

Art using ‘found objects’ became popular in the 1930’s with DaDa and in the 1950’s with pop art.

Even abstract expressionism embraced found objects.

Here the found objects are parts of wrecked automobiles welded together to make an abstract painting.

John Chamberlain

Very different elements seem to “go together” when they repeat shape and color.

Here, “lines” tie it all together: the grain in the wood, the stick, the ruler and the photograph with cast shadow.

The collage in the old box and the fish are connected with “light”

Here the objects are all painted with one color to abstract and unite them into one piece.

Louise Nevelson

Like an alchemist, the artist uses the brush to transmute cardboard trash into an exquisite art object.

Working on found objects, accidents happen, as here the clown appears next to the universal product code on the bottom of an old box , becoming the universal product clown.

The subtext is music.

On top of a “carpet” of old postcards glued to cardboard a figure is then painted on top.

Robert Marosi

On top of a “carpet” of old postcards glued to cardboard a figure is then drawn with pastel and paint on top. (Kevin Dame)

A swimmer painted on the bottom of an Easter basket

A piece of lace (owned by the artist’s grandmother) is stretched and glued on to canvas, and then an oil portrait is painted on top.

Susannah Bayne

Transparency on top of computer chips and steel mounted on shaped painted plywood.

Pamela Lanza

Canvas stretched over an old wood crate, with paint on top … then the canvas is cut and pulled back with wires to reveal the structure underneath.

An oil painting of a giant hand on top of a canvas lawn chair.

Allison Goss

An oil painting of a giant hand on top of a canvas “director’s chair.”

Pieces of Chinese gold incense paper, painted with a stencil of Anne Frank’s face, and installed in an old trunk.

Jeremiah Schaeffer

Collage applied to a piece of wood molding from an old house creates an unusual shape.

Left: Pastel on handmade paper stretched over chicken wire; Right: with the lights off and a candle placed within.

Sophia Denler, student