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.’
‘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.’
Origin
French, literally ‘found object’.
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