TRASH ARTRECYCLED ART COLLAGE

1ST GRADE ART SMART

KURT SCHWITTERS1887 –1948

• German Artist

• Most famous for his collages

• Called his collages Merzbilder

• Merz meant ‘refuse’ or ‘rejects’

• He used his collages to create new beauty from the ruins of his country after World War I

MERZ PICTURES• Collages created using garbage he found in the streets and parks of

Hannover, Germany

• Materials included bus tickets, old wire and fragments of newsprint

WHAT IS A COLLAGE?A piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing.

COLLAGE EXAMPLES

WHAT IS TRASH (garbage)?

• Wasted or spoiled food and other refuse

• Anything that is considered worthless or meaningless.

WHERE DOES TRASH GO?Most of it goes into LANDFILLS (piles in or on the land)

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Compost

Make Recycled

Art

Buy Less Stuff

DonateBuy

Second Hand

WHAT IS RECYCLED ART?Garbage transformed into something pleasing to the eye

Drink cans and wrappers

Stacks of paper, books

Beach litter, shells

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T TAKE OUT THE TRASH?Ask Sara Sylvia Cynthia Stout – By Shel Silverstein

(start at 0:18) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvNhhEtUGJY

Shhh…Listen Closely, Giggle Quietly

TRASH ART PROJECT LESSON:

1. Choose large, colored construction paper

for the background.

2. Write your name on the back.

3. Trash Cans (one of 2 options):

a. Choose a paper color for the trash

can - different than the background

(like grey, green or blue,)

and draw your own trash can

OR

b. Color a trash can template (oil pastel

or charcoal might be interesting)

4. Cut out the trash can out with scissors.

GARBAGE CANS

HOW TO DRAW A CAN

LESSON CONTINUED: CUTTING OUT MAGAZINE PICTURES

1. Think about what trash items you want to

include in your picture. Ideas: things in

your trash, food, toys, clothing, furniture,

sports equipment, electronics, etc.

2. Tear items that you have specifically

chosen (like a shoe or a carrot) out of the

magazine. DO NOT randomly tear pieces

of paper. BE THOUGHTFUL in what you

include. If things get ripped, that’s OK!

3. Recycle any paper scraps you will not be

using.

LESSON CONTINUED:GLUING

1. Position your background paper vertically.

2. Arrange your trash can on the bottom and

you pictures flowing up and out from the top

with maybe some scattered on the bottom.

3. Meanwhile, adults will hand out glue cups

(glue & H20 mixture) and foam brushes so

you can paste your trash can and magazine

pictures.

4. Embellish your collage with cut out words,

grass on the bottom, a drawing of a crow or

rat, etc.