Exhibition
Inspired by the adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, Junk Art was an exhibition dedicated to the art of assemblage. Showcasing the work of American artist Wally Warren, the exhibit was comprised of a series of installations produced during the course of a week-long, artist-led workshop—allowing Warren to share his artistic practice with interested members of the local community.
Participants were encouraged to find inspiration in the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life, with several artists incorporating commonplace objects such as dolls, driftwood, mechanical parts, and plastic sandals into their sculptures, which were later embellished with colourful paints. Similarly, computer and television parts featured prominently throughout Warren’s work, revealing an abiding preoccupation with our materialistic, technological culture and the electronic waste and discarded gadgets that have come to symbolise it. The resulting exhibition was a dynamic display of assemblage sculpture—one that transformed the utilitarian forms of found objects into arresting and surreal works of art.
Junk Art was the debut exhibition that marked the official opening of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ first home at Alexander Place and was on view from 10 April – 25 May 1998.
About the Artist
Wally Warren
Warren graduated with an art degree from the University of Maine in 1974. His work is exhibited in many public schools throughout New England, and he has a seven-panel wood construction piece on display at the Bangor International Airport, Maine. He has exhibited at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington, the MIA Gallery in Seattle, the Jamison Thomas Gallery in Portland, and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. His work was included in the Walt Disney Productions film The Fugitive, and his work is in private collections throughout the US.
