This Artist Bank will present artists that engage with the theme of 'Found'.
The theme of 'found' in contemporary art explores the transformative power of discovered objects, materials, and concepts. This collection showcases artists who engage with the notion of the 'found' in diverse and innovative ways, from re-contextualising everyday items to finding ourselves within the journeys we embark upon. These artworks reveal new meanings and provoke fresh perspectives on the found.
Collection
These artworks curate multiple items into a cohesive collage artworks. Artists transform disparate objects into unified art pieces, showcasing the power of assembling and reinterpreting everyday items. Collections are often formed through a process of finding and cataloguing/keeping, so we can explore the ideas of the 'found' through art that consists of collections. Through thoughtful arrangement and meaningful selection, these works reveal how collections of found objects can tell compelling stories.
Anthony Gormley, Lost Horizon, 2008
Emily Blincoe, I got the Sauce, 2023
Jon Foreman, Perpetual, 2017
Lane Barden, 21 Catchers Masks, large grid, 2017
Michael Mapes, Blauw Girl, 2018
Ron Mueck, Mass, 2017
Isolation
By declaring something found, you declare it as significant and set apart from its surroundings.
Artists detach significant items from their usual contexts, highlighting their intrinsic qualities and prompting new interpretations. By removing objects from their familiar settings, these works underscore how isolation can reveal hidden meanings and alter our perception of the everyday.
Myoung Ho Lee, Trees, 2013
Journey
The 'found' can be further explored through the concept of self-discovery, acknowledging our position on our own personal journeys. Artists explore the idea of finding oneself amid exploration, using maps, landmarks and sympathetic vehicles. These works capture the essence of navigating through change and uncovering new perspectives and identities.
Ed Fairburn, River Thames, Bampton to Eynsham, 2023
Theo Jansen, Strandbeest (multiple), 2021
Richard Serra, East-West/West-East, 2014
Object
Art created using found objects, transforms everyday items into profound statements through a re-contextualisation that places them in an artistic framework. The following artworks demonstrate how reimagining the ordinary can provoke thought and critique conventions.
Ai Weiwei, Straight, 2008
El Anatsui, Earth's Skin, 2007
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917/64
Salvador Dali & Edward James, Lobster Telephone, 1938
Opportunity
The world around us brims with opportunities for creative exploration through the theme of 'found.' Artists sometimes spot creative opportunities to respond to the world around them, transforming everyday objects and experiences into innovative artworks, revealing how chance encounters and overlooked details can spark artistic inspiration.
Banksy, Yellow Line flower Painter, 2007
Tatsuya Tanaka, Summer Sky, 2024
Photos
In our modern era, where photographs and images constantly surround us, the theme of 'found photos' offers a unique opportunity for artistic reinterpretation. These artworks take previously captured photographs and reframe them to uncover new narratives and meanings. By repurposing these visual fragments, artists explore themes of memory, history, and personal connections.
Alma Haser, Hermon and Heroda, 2017
Lisa Kokin, Trophy, 2000
Recovered
The process rediscovering and repurposing overlooked or discarded items has provided a sustainable methodology that artists have used to recover materials and spark new meanings. This collection features artworks that engage with objects and materials that have been rescued or unearthed, transforming them into new artistic forms. By reimagining these recovered elements, artists breathe new life into the forgotten, exploring themes of restoration, memory, and transformation.
Cornelia Parker, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 2010
Helga Stentzel, Laundrosaurus, 2023
Surveillance
Contemporary artists address the pervasive nature of surveillance and the ways in which it intersects with personal and public realms, identifying how we become the found. This collection features artworks that engage with the concept of finding and monitoring through various mediums, reflecting on the implications of surveillance in our digital age. Artists examine how technologies of observation shape our experiences and identities, turning the gaze of surveillance into a subject of artistic inquiry. Discover how these works interrogate the boundaries between privacy and visibility, offering critical reflections on the art of observation and control.
Ai Weiwei, Weiweicam, 2012
Chris Milk, The Treachery of Sanctuary, 2012
Harun Farocki, I Thought I Was Seeing Convicts, 2000.
Joe Fig, Working: Leonardo Drew, 2015
Tezi Gebunia, Put Your Head into Gallery, 2016
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[This post exists within an organic archive, the contents of this post is not fixed at the time of its publication but will grow as more and more artists are added to it.]
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