Assemblage art

ASSEMBLAGE ARTBy: Elizabeth (Liz) Lee Introduction to Art

Monogram (1959) By: Robert Rauschenberg

ASSEMBLAGE ART: WHAT I HOPE TO LEARN FROM THIS PROJECT

I am studying Assemblage Art because it absolutely fascinates me. It captures my attention instantly and can hold it for a very long time. I would love to learn about the aspects of Assemblage Art that make it so captivating to viewers.

Also, I think that Assemblage Art has had a lot of influence over sculptors in recent years and I find this additionally interesting. What qualities does Assemblage Art posses that makes it so interesting to future artists? Why do they mimic the random nature of this type of art in their own?

ASSEMBLAGE ART: DEFINITION

Assemblage Art is a compilation of objects which may at first appear to be unrelated. These objects are selected by an artist and presented in an aesthetically intriguing way which hopefully reminds the viewer of the real world.

Butterfly Wing Figure (1953)By: Jean Dubuffet

ASSEMBLAGE ART: ORIGINS

Assemblage Art got its name in the 1950’s during the post-modern art period. However, examples of Assemblage Art appear much earlier.

Still Life with Chair Caning (1912)By: Picasso

This early example of Assemblage Art depicts the texture of a caned chair and is framed with rope.


Assemblage Art is also said to have originated from synthetic and analytic cubism. Pablo Picasso and Georges Baraque are said to have developed this method of painting with multiple

viewpoints. Girl With Mandolin (19)By: Pablo Picasso

This painting is probably my favorite example of analytic cubism, it show a slightly distorted woman playing the mandolin and the viewer really gets a sense that these things have a presence, as they come to life even on paper.


Assemblage Art attempts to combine the pleasing quality of art with references to the every day world.

Vorwarts! (Go Forward) (1897)By: Jeff Wassamann

ASSEMBLAGE ART: ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG

Robert Rauschenberg is a perfect example of this (see image of Monogram on slide 1). Rauschenberg combines the serenity of nature (the goat) with the harshness of technology (the tire).

Impersonations (1971)By: Scott Grieger

In the photograph Scott Grieger interprets Robert Rauschenberg’s Monogram.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: GOES BY MANY NAMES

Assemblage Art has also been called ‘found art’ and ‘junk art’ based on the fact that the objects incorporated into the designs are sometimes useless and often found at random.

These shoes are a good example of ‘junk art’ because they are made out of useless metal from old electronic devices like computers.

Although I was unable to find the name of the artist, these shoes represent how Assemblage Art is still a big part of sculpture and art in recent years.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES

Often Assemblage Art is closely related to or renamed as a different type of art. As the art became three dimensional, human interaction became a part of the reality represented within.

HouseholdBy: Allen Kaprow

Whether the art is the activity of the women licking the jam off of the vehicle or the way it appears afterwards, it is apparent that Kaprow’s creations blur the boundaries between sculpture and performance art.


To make the definition of Assemblage Art even broader some of the well known artists, such as Rauschenberg, began to incorporate sound and movement into their creations. Though many may call these works of art performances, arguably the intentions are similar as those of other assemblage artists.

The artists are continuing to use real and unusual collections of objects, only adding movement and sound to create a more dynamic experience.


Still from Pelican (1963)By: Robert Rauschenberg, Carolyn Brown, Alex Hay

ASSEMBLAGE ART: EVOKES A MULTITUDE OF EMOTIONS

Some of the appeal of Assemblage Art to both viewers and artists is the fact that based on the reality of the objects used to create the art, one can be sucked right into the feel of the piece. Back Seat Dodge ’38 (1964)

By: Edward Kienholz

This sculpture of a couple in the backseat of a car sometimes shocks viewers. Because it inspires many strong emotions in people the power of this piece is magnified. It resonates with more people, whether positively or negatively and this quality makes it more memorable.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: CHRISTO AND JEANNE CLAUDE

Many people may have heard of the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude who are most well known for their massive fabric installations around the world (shown on next slide).

Wrapped Oil Barrels (1958-59)Christo and Jeanne-Claude

This early example of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work is a combination of random objects and colors.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: CHRISTO AND JEANNE CLAUDE

Valley Curtain (1970-72)By: Christo and Jeanne Claude (Located in Colorado!)

This stunning work of public Assemblage Art was created by the same dynamic couple who began by wrapping packages and oil barrels. Their installations have appeared all over the world. They are a unique combination of fabric with natural features, buildings, and monuments. These works of art truly celebrate different aspects of already beautiful places along with the element of movement. The way the fabric blows in the wind or hugs the shape of a building is truly unique and perhaps my favorite example of Assemblage Art.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: PUBLIC EXAMPLES

Because Assemblage Art is so interesting to the viewer it has become a huge part of public art.

Monument with Standing Beast (1984)By: Jean DubuffetLocated in Chicago, Illinois

Jean Dubufett has come a long way since his early images when he used butterfly wings to create some of the first Assemblage Art.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: EVOLUTION

As sculpture evolves over the years there are many hints of inspiration from Assemblage Art. For example sculpture is often an over exaggerated (usually in size) or altered version of something real. Many examples of this exist in modern day public art.

The Big Sweep (2007)Joe Boulter

This sculpture exists outside the Denver Art Museum, and though it is not created out of random objects it is a snapshot of seemingly random objects to have outside of an art museum, therefore I think it is an evolution of assemblage art.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: WHY IT RESONATES WITH ME

I chose to study Assemblage Art for this project because it particularly interested me. When thinking of what subjects we had covered only slightly in Intro to Art, it occurred to me that I didn’t understand the meaning of ‘found art’. I wanted to know why it looked like it did, what inspired the artists to put such random objects together and why it had such a lasting effect on art ever since its creation.

ASSEMBLAGE ART: WHY IT RESONATES WITH ME

Also, Assemblage Art is close to my heart because of Christo and Jeanne-Claude who visited my high school and spoke to my creative writing class several years ago. Seeing their passion made me curious about their inspiration.

Surrounded Islands (1980-83)By: Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Miami, FL

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