Assemblage

Assemblage is art which became a basis for many surreal masterpieces. Many of artists used this technique intermittently throughout their careers (Picasso). It is about creating three dimensional works by arranging found objects to create surprising and unsettling pieces of art. They can be painted or cut, sticked to each other and many more. Assemblage gives different function to objects and makes new connections between them. A good example of such work is 'Indestructible Object' (1923), made by Man Ray. It consists of a readymade object with a photograph of an eye. Put together, they suddenly gain new meaning. The piece was first intended as a silent witness in Ray's studio - watching him paint but late he gave an instruction for the proper use: "Cut out the eye from a photograph of one who has been loved but is seen no more. Attach the eye to the pendulum of a metronome and regulate the weight to suit the tempo desired. Keep going to the limit of endurance. With a hammer well-aimed, try to destroy the whole at a single blow."

REFERENCES

1. © Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2018, Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/assemblage

2. © 2011-Present www.ManRay.net; Available at: https://www.manray.net/object-to-be-destroyed.jsp