Found Object Masks, Assemblages and Figures: Art by Salvador Campos is on display August 18 to September 28 on the 8th floor of Harold Washington Library Center. This exhibit features found art, a type of art that is crafted from “found” objects that are transformed from their original purpose to make truly unique pieces. This exhibition displays examples of the found objects Salvador Campos uses to create his work to illustrate how items that are thoughtlessly discarded can be used to create something new.
Event
Found Object Art Workshop: September 21 at Harold Washington Library Center
Create your own found object art assemblage. Campos demonstrates how to make art from everyday objects that are often overlooked and thrown away. We encourage you to bring in some of your own unique found objects to use for your work.
Artist Statement
I am a self-taught artist. For the past 20 years I have worked with found objects and painted on a variety of surfaces to create paintings, assemblages, figures, masks and sculptures. The creative process for me is one that is completely intuitive and spontaneous. There’s no deliberation or pre-planning when I start a new painting or a found object piece.
I start with random objects I have found, or been given, to create sculptures, figures, assemblages and masks. Somehow these pieces fit together to create something altogether new. Sometimes the object(s) itself will tell me what direction to go and then I find the missing piece.
I aim to stimulate the viewer’s perceptual awareness of the beauty and value in the ordinary and to encourage creative imagination regarding reuse of materials in the hope that they will discard less and recycle more.
In their scarred, bent, broken and crushed condition, these pieces tell stories of the city. They represent cycles of life in the city. Each piece contains not only a unique history but potential for aesthetic function. I strive for that moment of recognition when the viewer not only sees the individual parts but the whole thing at the same time.
Campos is @scartbrute on Twitter and @salvador.campos.art on Instagram.
