File “Found Objects” next to collage under “Art movements I appreciate, but have little personal interest in.” Unlike collage, which is at least useful for students who aren’t comfortable with drawing and painting, found object art strikes me as impractical in an elementary school classroom setting.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my site observations this semester, it’s to limit as many distractions for kids to fiddle with as possible. In one of my third-grade classes a student brought in a stuffed pig that “oinked” when you squeeze it. An actual, live pig would have provided equal diversion. The kids at that table passed it around, tossed it, squeezed it incessantly and giggled hysterically all the while. That day was the only time I’d seen my mentor teacher become genuinely angry, and bark out “this is why there are no toys allowed in the classroom!” I can only imagine what kind of pandemonium would ensue if students were asked to bring in dozens of their own objects.
This could be circumvented by the teacher maintaining a supply of “boring” objects that aren’t of great interest to a child, like the scraps of cardboard, loose plastic and empty bottles we used in class…
…but the storage space required to retain an adequate inventory is hard to justify.
Lastly, at the risk of coming across like a condescending jerk, I have doubts about an elementary school student’s ability to grasp the sophisticated conceptual considerations inherent to most found object art. They can certainly paint and glue things together, but can they combine them in way that conveys a message? They very well may, but I’d need to spend more time in a classroom to have a better sense of what they are capable of. Until then, I think any found object art I introduced would be more of in an art historical context than an in-class project.
“9 Wacky and Wonderful Found-Object Sculptures From Across Art History”
“A Look at the Found Object Art Movement”
https://artincontext.org/found-object-art/
“Art Project for Kids: Found Object Sculpture”
https://www.storey.com/article/art-project-kids-found-object-sculpture/
For my own foray into found object art for this MAT course, well, I think my ambivalence towards the medium is palpable. I brought in a collection of random objects from around my house and office, but that’s just what they were: random objects. There was no thematic connection between any of them, and I had trouble finding one once I was in class. I borrowed a few things from classmates to try and broaden my options, but in the end, I think these feel like a series of empty exercises in photography more than actual found object art. The irony of my doubting a third-graders ability to work in this medium while I myself am equally incapable of it has not gone unnoticed.
