Found Objects

How do we define Found art? or Found objects?
Found Art is made from objects that are not considered art as they serve for other purposes eg. Wooden spoon. They then recreate these 'found objects' into something altogether different and amazing. An excellent example of an artist who works with found art is Donna Marcus. She creates art out of aluminum kitchenware, which I looked at in my last post.
One of the first people to create 'found art' was Marcel Duchamp. Some of his works were:

Fountain (1917)

Bicycle Wheel (1913)

Duchamp created 21 different found objects which he called readymates. It seems he used these simple objects to break the traditions of art at the time. He was trying to create a new kind of art which is nowadays practiced in modern art very commonly.

Some other more recent found object artists are:

Barbara Irwin

Queen of Pain

Autonomy of a woman 

Another form of found art is John Dahlsen's environmental art. Dahlsen uses recycled objects that he finds, usually washed up on the beach. Some of his works include:

                3 pages from a sketchbook 

Milde

Veiled thongs

7 buoy totems

Each of these artists create found art so differently. Duchamps art was the breaking of traditions of what was defined as art and the start of a unique and popular art trend, found art. His simple 'readymates' were the beginning of a new way of thinking and the beginning of a new kind of art. Barbara  Irwin loves to find old objects or what people consider 'junk' and turn it into something altogether beautiful, interesting or thought provoking. She firmly believes in recycling old objects instead of throwing them away. John Dahlsens art is completly recycled. He uses sea rubbish to create environmental art. His message is clear in his artwork, our litter is damaging to the environment. Especially our oceans waters which are filled with our junk.