Understanding Trash Art
Trash Art is one of the most popular arts emerging in the whole world at present. It is a
specific sub-genre of found art that is sometimes or often referred to as ‘junk art’. These works
are primarily comprised from components that have been discarded. Often, they come quite
literally from the trash. This sub-genre of found art is created from pieces that have been
previously discarded as trash or junk. It uses the basic 3R’s principle of recycling, i.e., Reduce,
Recycle, Reuse.
From litter off the streets to odds and ends in the house, trash artists from around the
world find a use for what others would toss out without a second thought. There is no definite
rule or technique to be followed for being a trash artist. Anybody can be a trash artist. It
depends upon the artists’ thinking and the message that he/she wants to convey to the
viewer.
Different artists use different methods for displaying their work, like some use light to
fall on their trash sculpture so as to convey message through the shadows of the sculpture,
while some use cans/bottles to present their work. So, it totally depends on the artists, what
message they want to convey to the viewers & by what means.
Trash Art has a very good scope in the future as this is the most affordable art form and
is being done keeping environment in mind.
Found Art
It is an unusual type of art that involves creating pieces from found objects that are not usually
considered artistic in any way. Most of the objects used in found art have another purpose,
and they are usually modified in some way to make them into a piece of art.
Artists that use found art objects may use several methods to modify the everyday
objects together to form a unique sculpture.
Some items an artist could use in a found art creation can include, but is definitely not limited
to:
Forks
Wires
Bottles/Cans
Door knobs
Picture frames
Bird cages
Garden tools
Automobile parts
Shopping carts
Natural items
WHAT DOES A TRASH ARTIST DO?
Strictly speaking, a trash artist obtains every day, unusual items and assembles them into
artistic structures. Although this usually entails creating sculptures, some of these artists will
also make collages and paintings as well.
The process of creating a piece of trash art varies from artist to artist. Some Artist, for instance
will start with a firm idea of what they want their piece to look like, then they will go about
collecting the necessary materials. Other artists, however, may simply look through their
materials and create a piece from what they already have.
Objects for trash art can be obtained a few different ways. Some artists simply use everyday
household objects that they have lying around their homes, while others might scour and
thrift stores garage sales in hopes of finding something useful. Some create compositions from
recycled plastic bags or themed works for art galleries, while others create entire theme parks
with trash, and even furniture from recycled materials.