JOSEPH CORNELL BOXES

JOSEPH CORNELL BOXES

He often described himself as a maker because he valued his “natural” and “spontaneous” origins as an artist.

Making something new from nothing or the pre-existing is critical to the processes of many artists. It is also central to the modern concept of creativity as the collision and recombination of ideas.

Traditions can be reinterpreted; connections can be forged between the seemingly random or disparate.

Cornell believed that artists renew and transform materials, experiences, and ideas, and this belief fueled his ability to communicate the beauty and magic in ordinary, often forgotten things.

He used the “irrational juxtaposition” of objects to engage the viewer and to create interest.

Cabinets of CuriosityThe 'Cabinet of Curiosities' was originally a personal collection of things of wonder (the cabinets were also referred to as Wunderkammer - or Cabinet of Wonders).

These cabinets reached the peak of their popularity in the 17th Century; they were the personal and often idiosyncratic collections of individual, wealthy owners and contained both natural and man-made objects

Maissa Toulet Curiosity cabinets