I am very happy to have a couple of artworks in the lovely shop Objet Trouvé in the nearby village of Alfriston. Objet Trouvé describes itself as ‘a distinctive arts and curiosities shop/gallery’. It’s a treasure trove of wonderful things.
The main artwork is a box-framed altered book – Badgers beneath the Moon. I feel proud that it’s in the window of the gallery at the moment:
The words ‘Objet Trouvé’ mean ‘found object’ in French. The Museum of Modern Art definition is:
An object — often utilitarian, manufactured, or naturally occurring — that was not originally designed for an artistic purpose, but has been repurposed in an artistic context.
Pablo Picasso was the first to use the term publically. I guess that altered books come under this definition – I haven’t thought of it in that way before.
I’m hoping to have more of my altered books framed in a similar way and will continue to explore using found materials in my artworks.