nounplural noun objets trouvés/ˌɒbʒeɪ ˈtruːveɪ/

• An object found by an artist and displayed with no, or minimal, alteration as a work of art.

  ‘On first encounter, we cannot be sure whether we should be addressing it in terms of a piece of industrial design, an objet trouvé, or a minimalist art form in the manner of early Caro or Sol Le Witt.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The organizers have gathered, from many museums and private collections, an unprecedented number of paintings, collages, photographs, films, sculptures, illustrated books and objets trouvés [found objects] by surrealist artists.’
  • ‘Having used small man-made objets trouvés in his early sculpture, from 1958 the artist began to incorporate parts of machines salvaged from breakers' yards.’
  • ‘Ready-mades differ from objets trouvés in that they are always mass-produced objects, and no aesthetic criteria should be used in their selection, restrictions to which objects trouvés are not subject.’
  • ‘A large bay window is filled with an eclectic collection of objets trouvés, while tasteful modern art adorns the walls.’