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National Art Education Association Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling Author(s): Aurelia Gomez Source: Art Education, Vol. 52, No. 3, The Practice of Art Education (May, 1999), pp. 25- 28+37-40 Published by: National Art Education Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193802 . Accessed: 16/06/2014 03:47 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art Education. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 195.78.109.66 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 03:47:03 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

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Page 1: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

National Art Education Association

Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous RecyclingAuthor(s): Aurelia GomezSource: Art Education, Vol. 52, No. 3, The Practice of Art Education (May, 1999), pp. 25-28+37-40Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193802 .

Accessed: 16/06/2014 03:47

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

National Art Education Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to ArtEducation.

http://www.jstor.org

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Page 2: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

INSTRUCTIONAL

AMERICAN ART OF CONSPICU-OS RECYCLING

Memory Jar, Maker unknown, United States. Early 20th century. International Folk Art Foundation Collections at the Museum of

International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor.

MAY 1999 / ART EDUCATION

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Page 3: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

AMERICAN ART OF CONSPICU-OS RECYCLING

'Trash, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder" Michael Thompson, Rubbish Theory.

W That makes one person's trash another's treasure? This question is answered repeatedly by artists who create objects out of recycled materials. Collections of buttons, bottle caps, wires, brushes,

beads, and less readily identifiable refuse spring to life when reconfigured by the hands of spirited artisans. Their work articulates personal passions and cultural identities while repositioning value systems. Objects of intense beauty and meaning that are created out of throwaways make ironic statements about how we order our world and what we hold dear. This Instructional Resource looks at the work of several recycling traditions from the United States.

GOALS Through adaptation of this material, students will learn that: 1. Industrial and commercial discards have a strong impact

in the United States. 2. There is a cultural basis for the transformation of junk. 3. Creativity and ingenuity can be found in the reuse of

discarded materials by artisans in the United States.

INTRODUCTION "IfI seem to be over-interested in junk, it is because I am,

and I have a lot of it too...halfa garage full of bits and broken pieces...Iguess the truth is that Isimply like junk."

John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley.

In the United States, people have been recycling for years, not necessarily from a heightened awareness of the global waste problem, but because of personal needs to express themselves, out of necessity, or due to a sense of thrift. Reusing what one had on hand and "making do" has been part of U.S. history since the pioneer days. There was, however a slow shift from home-based resourcefulness to consumer convenience around the turn of the 20th century. Disposable items became more appealing to the public, and businesses took advantage of the profitability of consumable items. A shift in thinking took place beginning with the automated assembly line of Henry Ford and other industrialists of the day. People who lived in the United States came to expect that the flow of goods would be affordable and endless. As prices became more affordable for these mass-produced items, consumers began to favor the consumable products over those that could be reused.

Folk artists throughout U.S. history have looked for ways to be resourceful and reuse the junk found in their environments. Whether it be for thrift, for conspicuous bold display, or for creative expressions of personal identity, we find ways that people have ingeniously refashioned "junk" or discards into works of beauty, meaning, and utility.

Memory Jar Maker unknown, United States. Early 20th century. Glass jar covered with composition dough

embedded with metal, plastic, glass and wood objects, gilt with gold paint. H 81/4 x Diam 5 1/2 (21 x 14 cm). International FolkArt Foundation Collection, Museum of International Folk Art,

Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John BigelowTaylor.

Junk carries with it the suggestion of other lives and memories associated with its prior use, whether real or imagined. Gifts or whimsies were intended to decorate the home and serve as conversation pieces and as affectionate

reminders of the gift-giver. Now they evoke a certain nostalgia for by-gone days and pre-industrial ways, though the materials employed are factory made. "Memory vessels" from the late Victorian era are compelling decorative objects that serve as

_ ART EDUCATION / MAY 1999

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INSTRUCTIONAL

three-dimensional scrapbooks for their makers. Memory vessels are also called what-not jars, ugly jugs,

mourning jugs, forget-me-not jugs, spirit jars and whimsy jugs. Exact details of the origin of the vessels are unknown, but as their aliases contest, they are part of a tradition of commemoration. Placed on graves, or created as a memorial in honor of a specific person, these jugs use recycled materials to tell family histories. The process of creating a memory vessel is simple. A container is covered with an adhesive such as putty, cement or plaster. While the adhesive is wet, objects are applied to the form. Seashells, glass shards, buttons, jewelry, tools, beads, coins, and toys encrust the surface, often making the original vessel non-functional.

Questions for Discussion 1. Why did this tradition of creating memory vessels come

about? 2. Does creating a memory vessel for someone out of things

that would normally be thrown away demean that person? Why or why not?

3. What other ways do we have of commemorating people?

MAKING MEMORY VESSELS OBJECTIVES

1. Students will learn how people in the United States have created memory vessels in honor of a person to create a decoration for their home (historical and cultural understanding).

2. Students will learn how artisans have created memory vessels using recycled or cast off materials (perceiving and analyzing).

3. Students will create their own memory vessels (creating and performing). Project Ideas

1. Think about a person (dead or alive) to commemorate. It could be a family member, an imaginary character, or a person in the community. What qualities does this person exemplify? What tools does he or she utilize? Assemble a collection of small objects that embody or symbolize important aspects of the person. Find a vessel or a box and cover it with a thick layer of putty. Push the collected objects into the putty so that they cover the object or box. Let it dry and paint it.

2. Create a memory vessel (see #1) for an entire group of people such as a club or classroom, neighborhood or community. How does this process differ from making a vessel about just one person? Evaluation

1. Create a display of the memory vessels with labels describing the people for whom they were created and the materials that were used.

2. Write short stories or poems that describe the memory vessels or the people they were made to honor. Read them aloud in class or at an assembly.

Overall Quilt Patchwork by Arbie Williams, quilted by Rose R McDowell, Oakland, California, 1992. Scrap

fabric, overalls. Approx 5' x 5' (55cm x 55cm). International Folk Art Foundation Collection, Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John BigelowTaylor.

During the two World Wars and the Great Depression, many U.S. housewives had little choice but to be resourceful and use scrap fabric to make handmade clothing and bedding for their families. Women talented in needlework carried out the tradition of making pieced quilts. These quilts served not only a utilitarian function, but also often resulted in works of stunning design and beauty. Quilts that recycle scraps of fabric have become known today as the quintessential U.S. folk art We see great variety in the quilting materials and designs that result. Sometimes quilters play with the idea of incorporating industrially produced items into the design. The use of old silk neckties, cornmeal or tobacco sacks, bank coin bags, men's overalls and blue jeans pockets all speak to the quilter's abilities to challenge necessity with wit and ingenuity.

Arbie Williams is one such quiltmaker who has continued the art of quiltmaking that she learned as a child. Born in 1916,

Arbie was raised on West Texas ranches where her father worked as a hired hand. Her talented mother taught Arbie how to quilt when she was 8 years old.

Arbie came of age during the Great Depression, when making quilts from recycled clothing was a necessity. She pieced warm and practical "britches quilts" from usable parts of worn-out pants, overalls, and other sturdy garments. As a cotton picker, Arbie knew that the fronts of her family's britches would wear out long before the backs, which could then be cut up and re-used for some other purpose. Arbie's britches quilts reveal her willingness to experiment and improvise. She now makes ingenious and intentional use of the bold shapes that result when used clothes-raw material for her art- are disassembled and then pieced together so that the entire backside of britches-or pockets are still boldly displayed.

MAY 1999 / ART EDUCATION

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Page 5: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

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Britches (overall) Quilt Patchwork, Arbie Williams, quilted by Rose R. McDowell, Oakland, California, 1992. International Folk Art Foundation Collection

at the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor.

ART EDUCATION / MAY 1999

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Page 6: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

Muffler Man, Jack King, Des Moines, Iowa, circa 1992. International Folk Art Foundation Collection at the

Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor.

MAY 1999 / ART EDUCATION I

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Page 7: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

Questions for Discussion 1. Who makes quilts and why? How do quilters use fabric?

What do quilts reflect about the people who make them? 2. What skills do quilters use in their trade? How do people

make quilts together?

MAKING SCRAP CLOTH QUILTS OBJECTIVES

1. Students will understand how the making of quilts from worn articles of clothing relates to the history and culture of women's work in the United States (historical and cultural understanding).

2. Students will learn about how scrap fabric is used to create designs in quilts (perceiving and understanding).

3. Students will find their own solutions in the process of creating a quilt out of old clothing (creating and performing). Project Ideas

1. Collect old and used clothing for the purpose of creating

a quilt. Cut apart the items along the seam lines and lay the pieces down on a larger swath of fabric or a piece of cardboard. Arrange the clothing pieces to create an appealing composition. Sew or glue the pieces to the base fabric or cardboard.

2. Create a large group clothing quilt using the techniques in #1. Have small groups or individuals create mini-quilts of a predetermined dimension and then put them all together. Evaluation

1. Hold a quilting bee where students teach their classmates how to make quilts out of clothing. Raffle the completed quilts to raise money for another group project.

2. Write stories from the perspective of the clothing used to create a quilt. What have the pieces seen? Where have they come from? How do they feel in their new incarnation?

3. Research the way women have been quilting in the United States over a period of time. What are the different ways women have organized themselves and their materials to make quilts?

_ 111*wmW IOS 0_*'S

Muffler Man Jack King, Des Moines, Iowa, circa. 1992. Automobile parts: muffler, springs, hubcap, etc. H 71" (180 cm). International Folk Art

Foundation Collection. Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, NM. Photograph by John BigelowTaylor.

Another form of recycling in the United States can be found in the shops of auto mechanics and metal welders. Muffler men and sheet metal figures have been used successfully to advertise one's occupation or as a display of one's technical virtuosity with the material at hand. Posted in front of businesses to attract attention, these creations are reminders of the days when U.S. towns used pictorial signs to advertise a product to an illiterate public. Jack King, an auto repairman from Des Moines, Iowa, created such a figure for his shop. By using a hubcap head, car springs for arms, flashing red light bulbs for eyes, and a festive bow at the neck, Mr. King created a colorful and eye-catching figure to attract his customers.

Other materials used by folk artists in the United States include worn-out hand tools, horse gear and obsolete farm equipment, and even old license plates. These salvaged items, fashioned into fences, gates, novelty furniture, and decorations for housing and yard art, are common yard displays in many communities around the United States. Questions for Discussion

1. Have you ever seen an advertisement for a business or store that uses a figure of some kind? What did it advertise? Was it made out recycled materials?

2. Do you think that Jack King's Muffler Man is an effective attention-getter? Why or why not? Where did the parts for this sculpture come from? How do economics play a role in his creation?

JUNK PORTRAITS OBJECTIVES

1. Students will understand how folk art in the United States, made out of recycled materials, can tell personal stories and express identity or occupation (historical and cultural understanding).

2. Students will discuss how recycled materials can be used to make individual and uniquely expressive forms (perceiving, analyzing, and responding).

3. Students will use recycled materials to create symbolic representation of themselves or community members (creating and performing). Project Ideas

1. Students can create figures that represent either themselves or a character in their community by using a large box or other recycled structure as the base, and then adding smaller items as decoration and articulation.

2. Students can make groups of recycled figures (large- or small-scale) to represent different aspects of their community. Evaluation

1. Create a "Junk Portrait" sculpture exhibit, inside or outside. The sculptures can be labeled with information about the character, artist, and materials used.

2. Have students draw or photograph the "Junk Portraits" and then write about their subjects. Compile the results into a booklet or newsletter to distribute to the class or school.

_ ART EDUCATION / MAY 1999

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INSTRUCTIONAL

Yard at Christmastime Homosassa Spring, Florida. circa 1989. Poptops, wire, and hand-colored lights. Photograph by Charlene Cemy.

Some recyclers take a particularly bold approach to their work-creating large-scale sculptures or even whole environments in their yards. People scavenge raw materials from dumps and roadsides, finding beauty and rich possibilities in the cast-offs of our consumer culture. Some work within clearly defined community traditions, and others do not. All of them, however, cleverly use recycled junk to create compelling works that validate their individuality or community.

Ray Cyrek, whose occupation as a can recycler contributed to his creative endeavors, is one such man who has cleverly transformed a once commonly found material into a work of individuality and bold display. By stringing together removable pull tabs from the tops of cans, Ray Cyrek found a way to embellish his surroundings in an unusual and unique manner. It began with a bet he had with his fishing buddies while relaxing at his trailer: Could they empty enough cans to string the tops to the end of the carport? They did, and this obsession evolved into a chain of lawn ornaments for his double-wide trailer. All kinds of figures emerged, resulting in a silvery fence surrounding such figures as a snowman, Santa and reindeer, butterflies, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, angels, and even his name, "Ray Cyrek." At Christmas time, Ray lit his creation with 16,000 hand-colored lights to create a magical environment. Questions for Discussion

1. Do you have anything decorating your home or yard that is made from recycled materials? Do you know anyone in your neighborhood who does?

2. What materials could you find in your environment that you could recycle into a work of art or a sculpture for your home or school?

3. What motivates people to make environmental sculpture? Do you know about any other environments created from recycled materials? Where are they? What do you think about them?

JUNK ENVIRONMENTS OBJECTIVES

1. Students will learn how people in the United States transform their yards with recycled materials (historical and

cultural understanding). 2. Students will learn how recycled materials can be

manipulated and arranged to create an environment (perceiving, analyzing, and responding).

3. Students will use cast off and recycled materials to create unique environments (creating and performing). Project Ideas

1. Collect a large quantity of similar types of recycled materials that can be joined in some manner. Pick an outdoor setting, like a tree, part of a school or an area of someone's yard and decorate that place with the recycled materials.

2. Create a maze or decorate garden pathways out of recycled materials. Invite community members to an event marking the opening to the public. Evaluation

1. Document the installations with a camera or drawings. Turn the images into posters that publicize the sites.

2. Hold a symposium where students discuss the pros and cons of recycled environmental art. Presenters can address the following issues: Does using recycled materials to create environmental art add to or detract from the environment? What are some of the economic issues involved in using recycled materials to create yard art? How do people feel about recycled art in general?

Aurelia Gomez is the School & FamilyArts Coordinator at the Museum of nternational Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM, a unit of the Museum of New Mexico, and the current president of the New Mexico Art Education Association (NMAEA).

REFERENCES Anderson, B. D., & Brown, L. B. (1996). Forget me not, the art and

mystery of memory jugs. NC: Winston Salem State University. Cerny, C., & Seriff, S. (Eds.). (1996). Recycled, re-seen: Folk art from the

global scrap heap(1996) New York: Abrams; Santa Fe, NM: Museum of International Folk Art.

Sullivan, L., & et al. (1997). Recycled, Re-seen: Folk art from the global scrap heap, an interdisciplinary curriculum guide. Glenview, IL: Crystal Productions; Santa Fe, NM: Museum of International Folk Art.

Thompson, M. (1979). Rubbish theory. New York: Oxford University Press.

MAY 1999 / ART EDUCATION

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Page 9: The Practice of Art Education || Instructional Resources: American Art of Conspicuous Recycling

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