box of wondering

"The Box of Wondering is a box that contains boxes and bags that contain other boxes and bags, long and short, big and small, containers that pop and twist, and secret drawers and wrapped bundles containing lots of odd things which begin to speak when they come out and sit beside other odd things, and this, my friend ... is all I can tell you"….

The process of bricolage and the appropriation of the found object has its artistic roots in Dada and Surrealist movements of early to mid 20th Century, further developed and adopted in the Pop art movement in 1960-70's with particular interest by Robert Rauchenberg and Edward Keinholz. The 'boxes of wondering*' are curated boxes, specific to each cause or project, ranging from architecture to local history, politics, landscape, folkloric, environmental and educational projects. These boxes are a developed method of speaking through objects, a language of play that varies and morphs according to each participants relationship and engagement with the objects.

Created on a commission basis. Please contact for further details.

*The genesis of this project began with being invited to create and further develop the 'discovery box' project in collaboration with the west cork arts centre 2012-2013. Montgomery was chosen for this project because of the participatory nature of her practice working with found objects and bricolage, and also being a parent of 3 small children.

" On this occasion i was given an empty box, it had remnants of an art cart of sorts, feathers, scissors, glue..etc..i was shown no archives or examples, simply told to fill the box with what i see fit to engage young audiences and their carers with the current exhibition”.

The successful box resulted in her immediate commission of another box which further received an Arts Council Travel and Dissemination Award for further collaboration and development of the project with the Arts Centre and subsequent travel to various Arts Centres in Ireland accompanying that touring show. The West Cork Arts Centre now uses the developed box, inviting other artists to do follow this format.

Since then Susan has used her process of bricolage and the appropriation of found objects to create and develop her own 'boxes of wondering’ which allow her to engage with her myriad concerns such as architecture, local history, landscape, environment, folklore, heritage as an artist in schools, and in the community with various ages.