Found Object Art

What do you get when you cross an altered book with assemblage? Found Object Art. This series began from the desire to incorporate my collection of broken dolls into three-dimensional altered books which could be hung and displayed on a wall.

For me, dolls represent a sense of innocence. How many of us tried to take control of our own childhoods by altering our dolls — cutting their hair, adding make-up, or sewing new clothes — as we created safe imaginary worlds for them to live in? Eventually, we grew up, and the dolls we played with were discarded. We became interested in other things, more real and scary and exciting.

The first doll that I used for this series was one I found in the gutter while taking a walk — a perfect example of a play thing left behind. I used this doll as a focal point, and then built the art around it.

Each book was altered through cutting, tearing, burning, collaging, gluing, texturing and painting. In addition to the broken dolls, each piece uses similar elements- text from an old Methodist hymnal, treasures culled from roadsides and antique fairs, small holy medals, copper nails, wire hearts, and red thread to symbolically tie these things together. Although similar in color and design, the individual themes were derived from the title of the book that was used as the canvas for each piece of found object art.