Recycled Art

Deconstructed Books

What is Recycled Art?

• Popular form of art where artists use recycled materials to create true works of art.

• Created by artists worldwide

• Artists look at discarded or recycled materials in a new way to use them to complete their projects

• Reasons: - to help reuse materials - to find an inexpensive alternative to costly art supplies - to get the viewer to look at everyday objects in a new way

History

Started as early as the 1900s with Marcel Duchamp's famous urinal turned art titled "Fountain."

• Duchamp is most famous for a type of sculpture he created called “readymades”

• “Readymades” are ordinary functional household objects that have either been joined to other objects, or chosen to stand alone as sculpture.

If beauty (and Art) is in the

eye of the beholder, is this

art? Why or Why not?

History

Movement continued into

the '40s with modern

artists finding new and

unique ways to interest

viewers.

Louise Nevelson created

large box structures of a

single color, often

including small nick-

knacks that were

reinvented into art.

The Green

Movement

Artists have begun turning recycled art into a movement

Correlates with the "green" movement taking place in popular culture

Finding ways to show concern for the environment and encourage others to reuse, reduce and recycle

Bernard Pras

Bernard Pras, a

French artist, piles

up unwanted trash

to create a one-

time-only

sculpture to

photograph.

Who is Bernard Pras trying to create

a portrait of with these recycled

materials?

What other artist also created

artwork using this woman's’ face?

Our Recycled

Art Project

Deconstructed Books

Deconstructed Books

• Turning a book into a sculpture.

• Created by altering pages using multiple techniques

• The tools are very basic — scissors, glue, paper punches and creativity

• Must be willing to experiment

Easy to Do

• May appear complicated, but when a

deconstructed book is created one page at

a time, it's surprisingly easy to do.

• Manipulate paper keeping in mind:

- symmetry

- balance

- positive/negative space

How to Create Your Book

• Start from the very middle of the book

• Alter pages from the center back

• Can be viewed from straight on or the side

(binding)

• To Begin:

Open the book to the center spread.

Take one of the pages and……..

Techniques to Use

• Fold it: fold it forward or backward, fold it in half, fold the corners down, make an accordion fold or make multiple folds

• Cut it: cut strips, shapes, angles, rounded edges and free-form shapes. Use straight scissors or scissors that make decorative cuts.

• Roll it: wrap the page around a pencil to make curls and twists, form tubes, cones or rolls. Some pages or parts of pages can be rolled to form support for other shapes to make them more dimensional.

• Punch it: decorative shape punches or simple handheld hole punches are an easy way to add interest to pages.

Techniques

to Use

• Rip it: torn edges can be just as intriguing as cut ones. For precise deckles, press a deckle-edge ruler against the page and tear the paper.

• Crimp it: use a paper crimper to create corrugated and textured pages.

• Emboss it: if the pages are lightweight, place texture plates beneath the paper and burnish with fingers to pick up textures.

• Tape it: use tape wherever needed to make pages and shapes stay put.

Next Steps

Step 2: Repeat on the opposite page and then move onto the pages behind it.

• Things to keep in mind:

— If you don't like a page, simply rip it out and move on to the next one!

— Not every page needs to be altered. Keep some pages toward the front and back cover intact.

3. When deconstruction is complete, either display the sculpture on a tabletop, or mount it to mat board or foam board to display it vertically.

Samples to Inspire

Assignment Time