The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists(Joe and Betty Moore Texas Art Series)

In this first book of interviews with visual artists from across Texas, more than sixty artists reflect on topics from seminal influences and inspirations to their common engagement with found materials. Beyond the art itself, no source is more primary to understanding art and artist than the artist’s own words. Aft er all, who can speak with more authority about the artist’s influences, motivations, methods, philosophies, and creations? Since 2010, Robert Craig Bunch has interviewed sixty-four of Texas’ fi nest artists, who have responded with honesty, clarity, and— naturally—great insight into their own work. None of these interviews has been previously published, even in part. Incorporating a striking, full-color illustration of each artist’s work, these absorbing self-examinations will stand collectively as a reference of lasting value.

About the Author :
Robert Craig Bunch is an assistant librarian at the McNay Art Museum of San Antonio. Previously, he had a twenty-five-year career in public schools, as both a teacher and a librarian.

Review :
"Bunch has made a valuable contribution to the history of contemporary art in Texas, illuminating our understanding of collage and assemblage in the words of the artists themselves. These interviews provide insight into their lives, their work, and their thought processes."-- William J. Chiego Director of the McNay Art Museum-- (05/17/2016) "You can almost smell the turpentine, the oils, the materials an artist incorporates into his/her work. You can hear the voice of the artist and it is direct not filtered through others' interpretations. It enables you to feel the work. This is a wonderful resource and it is an entertaining, charming read. Once you begin to meet the artists through the well-considered and well-answered question, it is hard to stop reading. This book will become a must-have for curators and others within the art world." -- Becky Duval Reese, Director (retired) of El Paso Museum of Art-- (01/31/2015) "A vital reference for understanding assemblage art in the twentieth century and contemporary South...an enjoyable, illuminating, and pleasurable read."--The Menil Collection --The Menil Collection (04/25/2017) "Robert Craig Bunch uncovers a fascinating history in The Art of Found Objects: Interviews with Texas Artists. Opening with the premise that a vital current of collage and assemblage has been one of the defining aspects of Texas art since the 1960s, Bunch engages 65 artists in a series of revealing conversations. Ranging statewide, across generations, investigating both mainstream art and vernacular traditions, Bunch teases out new information that will prove to be a valuable resource for scholars and a delight for general readers. Some of Bunch's questions are to be expected: What typically inspires a work of art? How does such a work grow? When is it finished? But Bunch also takes both his subjects through the more complex byways of creativity, identity, and the sense of place that distinguishes the art of our times and the state we are in." -- Alison de Lima Greene, Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston -- (05/25/2016)