Sam Burns’ Yard
To continue my exploration of ‘junk’ or ‘scrap’ objects, I visited Sam Burns’ Scrapyard on the outskirts of Edinburgh, where there is an abundance of scrap objects and ‘rusted’ surfaces deemed as ‘junk’, which I photographed. My aim when photographing these objects was to capture a sense of timelessness and beauty. These objects have been handled, used and tampered with, yet, when they are photographed in a desolate environment, their innate aesthetics and beauty can be appreciated, and the objects are separated from their solely mechanical purpose. This can be related to Duchamp’s work with the Found Object: presenting objects as art in their own right. I was also drawn to certain surfaces within this scrapyard, which have been worn down and rusted over time. The effects created on these surfaces evoke a sense of fascination with their textures and variety of colour. In my previous post, I explored the work of Mark Bradford, whose artwork resembles these rusted surfaces and textures which I have explored within these photographs.
With these photos, I intend to create collages, mixed media pieces including print work, as well as painting and sketching, in order to give these ‘scrap’ objects a new lease of life where they can be viewed as artwork in their own right.
