Joseph Cornell

Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) was an artist who is most closely identified with the assemblage movement. The process of assemblage involves combining found objects. Many other artists have done similar things, such as Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso, but Cornell is most well known for his glass fronted boxes. Unlike many other artists, however, Cornell didn’t use trash or other discarded objects, but previously beautiful or delicate objects he found in thrift stores. Cornell would then arrange these objects, often themed, in wooden boxes with glass fronts, sometimes even making them interactive. He also experimented with film.