Anytime I think of found objects artwork, I think of a friend saying, “Trash Art,” and I absolutely love that. That saying one person’s trash is another’s treasure can be applied to this approach, and I think it adds a touch of magic to the artwork, making it more special. Of course, depending on how these items would be obtained, I would not be substituting founds objects from a loved one’s home as “trash art” but unexpected treasures found nearby. Well, by this week, I sound like a broken record, but my artwork has focused on my chronic kidney stones and the pain that surrounds my everyday life. I knew it was very apparent when I worked on my embroidery piece, but when I went ahead to find my unexpected treasures in my apartment, I did not have anything visualized in my mind of what I wanted to do. I approached this art as I do with my drawings, automatically, without expectations of how I wanted it to look, and let the materials guide me to a finished product. I ended up creating a tiny found objects installation piece that was a self-portrait of my current state today.
I believe that found objects project would be a significant directive to choose when working with older adults and neurodevelopmental disorders, people with ASD. There is a freedom that emerges with found objects, in which the items do not necessarily have to be specific or hold any meaning. It can be playful, fun, and the process of putting the chosen items together can be just or more important than the final product. It can structure or open-ended, depending on the individual, and can create an opportunity to share or interchange objects within the group, thus encouraging engagement between peers. Art therapy can also be a place for non-verbal space of reflection, which would not exclude clients that are non-verbal or with limited verbal capabilities. Since older adults are at a later stage in life, I think it is essential to remind them that they are still amazing and have so much to offer and learn so much from them. Found objects approach can be lighthearted because there is no “right” way for the art to look. Therapeutic benefits of found objects as Brooker (2010) states are that “found objects enabled thoughts, feelings and memories to be connected to, recognized and processed in a way which would not have been reached by simply providing standard traditional art therapy studio materials” (2010, p. 34).
Reference:
Julie Brooker (2010) Found objects in art therapy, International Journal of Art Therapy, 15:1, 25-35, DOI: 10.1080/174548310037523