Industrial-Style Assembly

In the early 20th century, artists were increasingly drawn to incorporating everyday objects into their work. Found in both painting and sculpture, the line between art and life started to blur. Despite the rise in focus of the two-dimensional which dominated abstract art, avant-garde artists across different styles created three-dimensional, mixed media assemblages. The movement questioned the very definition of art as it was coming to be known in the 20th century. Using mass-produced objects and junk, artists like Marcel Duchamp often made satirical critiques of modern, commercial culture. His works Roue de bicyclette and Fontaine spring to mind. This hybrid art form lacked a title, referred to as “Combines" or “Accumulations" by artists, until in the 1950s Jean Dubuffet coined the term “Assemblage". Dominating the 50s, this movement continues to influence artists today combined with the exponential shift in society – industrialization. The likes of Tracey Emin and Sandra Salamonova engage in Assemblage techniques to create work to confront the viewer, whilst Karl Lagasse applies the geometric patterns of New York scrapers to his works noted as industrial-style assemblage. From vehicles to buildings to money, the everyday object and its meaning has shifted since the time of Duchamp, but still inspires the artist.