People often ask me why I work with found objects and where I find them. To answer that, I tell them the stories embedded in my favorite water bottle.
My metal water bottle has been dropped on hikes, fallen from stadium bleachers and left too close to a fire so the paint is now bubbled and chipping off. It barely stands up unless it’s on a flat surface. But I still use it, and I love it more now that it has so many stories. They are stories of family hikes, watching my son in marching band, and sitting by a fire with friends. Besides, no one’s going to mistake it for theirs and walk off with it.
There is little else more interesting to me than the stories found in the dents, scratches and broken edges of a thing. But there are also interesting stories in the mundane things in our lives. We don’t often think about the garage door opener that dutifully welcomes us home over the decades. And we can be quick to discard the plastic water bottle that served us at our son’s soccer game.
My art is not about the objects themselves. Instead it is focused on giving those objects a new story or celebrating the ones embedded in it. And I think many of us can relate to feeling “broken,” forgotten or underestimated at some point. We all want and deserve a new story and second chance. We all deserve a story that turns “broken” into “resilient” and “wise.” A story that transforms “underestimated” into “hero.” And a story that turns “forgotten” into “loved” and “celebrated.” The stories I tell with my artwork are very much a reflection of that. And why I will always love getting to work with found rescued objects.
Is there an object in your life that holds a story? What about those old keys, your grandmother’s sewing tin, or a smooth stone you found? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.