Found Object Robots

Using found objects to make art is a great way to stretch your imagination. It involves taking materials designed for one purpose and using them for another. One of the most famous examples is Pablo Picasso’s Bull’s Head,  made from a bicycle saddle and handlebars. It’s such a simple and humorous idea, but someone had to think of it. The challenge here is to make a robot sculpture using only found objects in metal. Let the games begin!

Tête de Taureau by Pablo Picasso, 1942. Photo: http://www.musee-picasso.fr

Materials

• recycled metal eg. juice can lids, pop cans, bottle tops, wire, foil wrappers, coins, cutlery, pop can tabs, nails, screws, washers, nuts and bolts, metal can, etc.
• wire cutters
• pliers
• awl
• glue gun

1. If you need some ideas to see just how far you can go with this, search the internet for ‘recycled metal robots’ and “metal found object robot sculptures’. Then have a look at ‘images’.

2. Take time to collect recycled items for this project. Once you have a good selection to work with, start thinking about what you can use for the main body of the robot. From there, you can work on the head, face and limbs. Attaching parts together can be done in a variety of ways. You can fit pieces into each other, create holes with an awl to poke parts in, use wire, or a glue gun. Either way, this is a project best done with the help of an adult. Care should be taken when working with metal because it can cut little fingers.