ASSEMBLAGE ART
Can the words “everyday” & “avant-garde” be used in the same breath? In this day & age- WHY NOT I say to myself! To be frank, I’ve always felt I’ve had different thoughts & opinions, different urges to express myself… but I can’t quite seem to leave the main-stream life I was raised in behind. Is this bad or wrong? No… but I do get bored easily with Suburbia, materialists views & middle-of-the-road vantage points.
So how do I venture out? How does one get passed the monogrammed bags & designer cocktails? Body art & various piercings never appealed to me; drawing attention to art of the skin (that eventually fades, sags & morphs) never felt quite right to me personally. Artistic macabre is a bit fascinating to me- but I never could fully commit. I wanted to be part of the “uplifting” of the human spirit verses the “terrifying” of the human spirit. Still- being human- there are unsettlings among us; feelings of uncertainty, fears, strange desires, bizarre dreams. Ignoring those aspects would be ignoring the true meaning of BEING HUMAN. And for me- my quest was “How can I capture the idea of being human in my art?” The answer was simple “Our THINGS tell a story”.
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And with that back knowledge, I became subconsciously drawn to altered art & assemblage boxes. As I began making my boxes & exploring this art form, I found my muse- Joseph Cornell. As I researched him more, I found out he was one of the pioneers of “assemblage art”, a self taught artist & experimental filmmaker. He too had a background in the textile field & an enthrallment for found objects used in unorthodox ways- a true kindred spirit!
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What I love about assemblage art -at its very core- is the idea of “anything goes”. This was so refreshing to me after years of being a trained interior designer & artist, the freedom to leave scaled drawings & detailed perspectives behind was exhilarating! To design art pieces without rules, without “right or wrong” attachments & without hindrances is a dream come true for me- true artistic liberation!
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One of my favorite pieces I created is entitled Damsel Darwin. As I gathered old tortious shells from a box of childhood treasures & secured a collection of old postcards from around the world at a flea market- the assemblage art itch struck me again! The “birthing” of this particular piece coincided with the birthing of my niece, and many of the objects represent that to me in this piece. It’s hard to express how assemblage art is put together. At first glace it may look like random items thrown in a box. But my process is somewhat organic; my assemblage art is never planned, and yet- I feel very strongly that each item has a place within the piece. First- objects are calling to me- something about a particular object is “speaking to be used”. Then there seems to be an evolution of pieces coming together. As each item is added to the work, a overarcing idea seems to come through. Although it’s not always apparent at the time, ultimately the art piece captures something bigger than its individual parts. That’s the real beauty of avant-garde & assemblage art… you never know what the end result will be. But if done correctly, the art piece captivates the audience & resonates with its viewer each time they engage with it