HISTORY OF THE USE OF WASTE MATERIALS IN VISUAL ARTS: CONCEPT AND ROOTS

Abstract

Today the whole world is struggling with the problem of waste materials and their proper maintenance. Examples of the use of waste material are also found in art. An artist always needs a medium to create their artwork, and also, in contemporary art, many artists are creating artwork from waste materials and beautify their environment and make people aware of its reuse. The process of making artwork from waste material is today known as ‘Scrap Art’ or ‘Junk Art’. An early example of the use of waste materials in art comes from the ‘Dadaism’ Art Movement, which started in France in the 20th century, when artists started exhibiting industrially produced objects as artwork, along with their titles. From here, a question mark was raised regarding the idea of ‘Readymade Art’ and its aesthetics. Behind this was the main artist ‘Marcel Duchamp’ whose work 'Fountain' in 1917. The other two major Artists were Man Ray and Francis Picabia. The second developed form was seen in Picasso's 'Bull Head' artwork in 1942, where Words like ‘Found objects’ and ‘Ready-mades’ became popular in the history of art. Many artists in contemporary art are creating artworks using these waste materials. This is not only enhancing the beauty of our public places but also making people aware of their reuse and also showing a new dimension of art creation. This research paper analyses what new changes have taken place in terms of style and thought due to the use of waste material in art from the beginning till today.