Death Trash Instal: The Rebirth of Art from Discarded Materials

In a world where stylistic diversity has become the norm, it's easy to get lost in the sea of individual styles. Frederic Jameson predicted that one day we would reach a point where there was no longer a 'normality' against which all styles could be judged, leaving only imitation of dead styles as an option. This fear may have come true, with contemporary consumption fabricating meaning from discarded materials that have been stripped of their significance.

Kipp Normand's work, 'Central State,' is a perfect example of this trend. As an aesthete, the artwork itself is the starting point, but it's the process of creating art – gathering scattered discards and imbuing them with new meaning – that is perhaps more fascinating than the final product. Normand acknowledges that 'refuse is my muse,' revealing the power of stylistic innovation and material narratives.

However, Normand's creations also capture a broader social practice of recycling, fetishizing, scavenging, rehabilitating, and repurposing everyday objects. This transgressive move blurs the lines between detritus and art, forcing us to question our aesthetic conventions. Normand is part of a long line of artists who have celebrated the aesthetics of trash itself, redefining what constitutes 'high art.'

As a 'junk artist,' Normand joins the ranks of found object artists who repurpose ordinary items to create something new and meaningful. His installation 'Fanfare for Bill Cook' (2012) is a prime example of this approach. By breathing life into discarded materials, Normand challenges our perceptions of what art can be and where it can come from.

In an era where the notion of 'high art' has been laid to rest, Kipp Normand's work represents a bold new direction in artistic expression. By embracing the aesthetics of trash and transforming it into something beautiful, he reminds us that even the most mundane objects hold hidden potential for creativity and meaning.

Death Trash instal