The use of waste objects in art movements from 1960 to today

In the consumer society we live in, all kinds of materials are rapidly consumed, losing their function and becoming waste. This research titled "The Use of Waste Objects in Art Movements from 1960 to the Present" focuses on the relationship between art and material by examining how materials that have lost their functional value are evaluated in contemporary art production. Within the scope of the research, it is seen that the use of waste materials in the field of art emerged with the Cubism Movement in the early 20th century. In addition, art movements after 1960 were examined and the processes up to today's contemporary art understanding were discussed chronologically. The use of waste materials in artistic production has not only transformed the understanding of art as a material, object and medium; it has also expanded the definitional and functional boundaries of art. Many objects that were not designed as works of art have gained an aesthetic value through the creative intervention of the artist and have begun to have the quality of works of art. When the traces of this transformation are examined within the framework of contemporary art practices; the function of waste materials in the creative process has been shaped together with the historical development process of art. In this direction, it is seen that the use of waste materials has eliminated the traditional boundaries between art and daily life. In the study, artists who are engaged in contemporary art at national and international levels were determined; the works of these artists related to the use of waste materials were examined based on written and visual sources. In this context, it was understood that the waste object was transformed from being a mere physical material into a tool through which artists expressed themselves. Finally, personal studies that constitute the processes of addressing the applications related to the subject were included in the thesis and thus the aim of the thesis was achieved.