Comments on: Lost and Found Art goes from Random to Contrived?

Lost and Found Art goes from Random to Contrived?

skyper — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:52:53 -0800

Is it “found art” when it’s intentionally left out to be found? Enough findings at this street corner have been documented in a blog as long ago as April 2007, around the time anonymous artist(s) were planting small paintings at street signs in urban residential neighborhoods.
The resident who tracks the found art sightings, regularly updates with photos of her neighborhood’s location, a telephone pole with a makeshift shelf for passersby to anonymously place (and replace) found items.

Now she has become one of a posse of local artists is launching a movement in the spirit of this found art, calling itself Real Small Art.

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:56:15 -0800

Better not do this in Boston.

By: Pecinpah

Pecinpah — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:58:31 -0800

That's 'left art', not 'found art'. Heh.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:02:02 -0800

I'd call it littering.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:02:41 -0800

If you're the artist, I think it's "lost" art. Provided anyone walks off with it, that is.

By: Sar HaPanim

Sar HaPanim — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:32:40 -0800

I'm pretty sure this would be called "guerilla art", as in guerilla advertising and guerilla gardening.

By: Dr-Baa

Dr-Baa — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:36:11 -0800

I'd call it littering. Funny, that my word for geocaching.

By: Dr-Baa

Dr-Baa — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:36:20 -0800

that's

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:37:17 -0800

We talked about someone else's found/left/lost art long, long ago. I really like the idea. There are a bunch of antique fire department call boxes around my neighborhood. Some have been painted nicely, and some have been turned into historical markers for various sites, but I'm thinking a left art repository might need to be created, too. There was also a lot of this going on at PDF. I came back to my tent one evening to find a fuzzy red heart-shaped pillow, with an embroidered message just for me. No idea where it came from.

By: djeo

djeo — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:37:39 -0800

There's a public art campaign in New Orleans called nola rising that has been generating some controversy and a (warning: pdf) lot of local (and not so local) discussion.

By: podwarrior

podwarrior — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:43:45 -0800

Found art is art made of found objects. This seems to be street art and the best site for it is woostercollective.com which covers graffiti and other evolving forms of unsolicited public expression.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:49:15 -0800

Well, no - it's more like a "found art object."

By: the littlest brussels sprout

the littlest brussels sprout — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:08:46 -0800

Is it "found" if it was never lost? Is it a rickroll if you're expecting Rick Astley?

By: newmoistness

newmoistness — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:46:19 -0800

Huh. This shelf is just a couple blocks from my house -- and I still can't work up any significant feeling about it. But I'm glad I found this post, if that helps...

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:07:46 -0800

If you're the artist, I think it's "lost" art. Is it "found" if it was never lost? Apparently "found art" is rapidly becoming a lost art.

By: nax

nax — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:10:14 -0800

A notorius bit of found (left?) art from Chicago, early 80s, spray painted on building in the gallery district: "Is it art or is it vandalism?" (I believe the artist was Nancy Forrest Brown, for those who need to know.)

By: statcinerator

statcinerator — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:06:18 -0800

I agree about not doing this in Boston. I think this city prides itself on not having any street signs whatsoever. Putting art up will confuse the shit out of people and will break the bleak-chic look that this city has.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:10:40 -0800

EMRJKC'94 and stat--- How terribly true! ("Boston: If You Have To Ask Where You Are, You Don't Belong Here.")

By: Spatch

Spatch — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:22:10 -0800

O ye art-deprived Bostonians, come across the rivah to Camberville, where random art is affixed to road signs and public utility boxes are brightly painted to resemble boxes of popcorn or comic books.