Assemblage Artists
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)
Duchamp was a French artist who came
from a creative family: three of his brothers
were also artists. He was an artist who
continued to grow in his art and would explore
different mediums. He has created artwork that
fits into many art movements: PostImpressionism, Cubism, and Dada. However,
he is well known for his ready-mades. Readymades are every day items that Duchamp
would declare as art. His ready-mades helped
viewers take a closer look to what we depend
upon each day and find the beauty in those
objects.
One of the more popular ready-mades
was Fountain, which was a urinal. It was made
in 1917. However, the original copy was lost and was recreated in 1964. In 1917, the
Society of Independent Artists were putting on an exhibition where all the artwork would
be on display. Fountain was turned down from the show because it was not considered to
be art. This led to Duchamp not returning to the Dada group after WWI and working
more on his ready-mades.
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http://www.marcelduchamp.net/index.php
John Dahlsen
An Australian artist, Dahlsen transformed as an artist in a big way: going from an
abstract painter to an environmental artist.
Walking along the beach, he collected 80 gallons
of found objects, or what he calls “ocean litter.”
He enjoys collecting the objects and seeing how
they have been worn by being in the ocean or out
in the sun. He mentions how sometimes he will
pick up these objects and not have a connection
but the connection occurs once working in his
studio and being around the object for a period of
time. Dahlsen’s found object artwork is not only
for aesthetic purposes but also to create an
environmental awareness.
Found objects from Australian oceans are commonly used in Dahlsen’s artwork.
He has put plastic bags together to create Blue River, a plastic bag painting. He has
created totems out of objects too, some of them even to be commissioned for public areas
or in buildings. He also takes photographs of collections he has found. Thongs shows
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how much of one object can be found on the beach. Dahlsen causes viewers to think
about the environment while enjoying his pieces.
http://www.johndahlsen.com
Jason Mecier
Mecier considers himself to be a mosaic portrait artist. His biggest inspiration was
his grandmother who would draw on the back of her cigarette cartons. He said she taught
him, “that I can make art out of
anything I want to, and that there are no
rules.” His work not only shows found
objects but how finding those objects
can become a collection. Mecier also
incorporates food. He uses a special
acrylic sealant that helps preserve the
food. However, fresh foods are quickly
thrown out after the portrait has been
documented.
Mecier really focuses on pop
culture and celebrities. Even as a kid,
he would cut out celebrity pictures and
try to create small assemblages of their portraits. Depending upon the portrait, it can take
between 50 hours to over 2 months to finish an artwork. It takes a lot of organization of
colors and textures to create his pieces. He even has themes to his portraits where certain
portraits are only made out of one kind of object. His portraits have become so well
known that he gets packages from celebrities’ trash to be incorporated into their pictures!
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http://www.jasonmecier.com/title.html
Joseph Cornell (1903-1972)
Cornell was an American sculptor who was most famous for
his boxes that arrange photographs and objects. He focused on the
personal artifacts of a person. He was never formally trained, as an
artist, yet was still a main component in assemblage. His
assemblages usually had a clear coating on the front, usually by
glass, and were interactive. He was influenced by Surrealism,
which is evident in his pieces since they included irrational
juxtaposition (placed close together to create contrast). Many of his
boxes are influenced on things he was interested in.
Cornell also worked with experimental film. He was using
the assemblage idea even in the film by creating collages from
other films to create his own. Later in his life he would use
collaborative footage to create montages.
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/C/cornell.html
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