Dennis Kiel, director of the Dishman Art Museum, will present a talk at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, 12:30 p.m., Monday, about “The Art of Found Objects: Enigma Variations” exhibition.
“The Art of Found Objects,” which is on display through March 3, includes an expansive array of artwork by numerous artists from Texas, Louisiana and Colorado who used found objects and materials.
“Taking an object made for one thing and using it for another — that’s the fascinating part,” Kiel said.
Robert Bunch, guest curator and author, took the title of the exhibit from his book, “The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists,” and chose artwork featured in the book.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Steve Brudniak, Marilyn Lanfear, Angelica Paez, Ward Sanders, Kelly Sears, Charles Dellschau, Forrest Bess, Clyde Connell, Maudee Carron, Felix “Fox” Harris, David McManaway, Bert Long, Jesse Lott, Vernon Fisher, Mary McCleary, Jonathan Rosenstein, Trenton Doyle Hancock and Dario Robleto.
“The longer you stand in front of a work of art, the more you’re going to discover, the more things you’ll see that you had no clue were there,” Kiel said.
Kiel said he recommends viewers spend time with the art and think about what is going on, and to go beyond finding the narrative.
“There’s not always a narrative and that’s when you have to bring in your own narrative,” he said.
The art is intricate and not right there in your face, Kiel said, adding that he enjoys the way fact that it makes one think.
“There’s a lot of mystery involved in a number of the pieces, so I’m going to try to concentrate on that (in the talk),” he said.
Kiel plans to relay some of the art back to his specialties in photography, he said, and make personal connections to art. He encourages students to branch out and come see the exhibition, because it has something for everyone.
“Brudniak and Sanders are interested in science,” he said. “There is a lot of science, and Ward Sanders has a lot of literary influences. Their works can attract a lot of different types of students.”
The talk is free and open to the public.
For more information, visit amset.org.
Story by Cheyenne Ard, UP contributor