I create heart assemblages from recycled items and found objects that I repurpose and reimagine into one of a kind heart art. My one of a kind heart art assemblages are created to be hung on the wall, but I am working on some heart sculptures on bases currently.
The photograph of the heart assemblage at the top of this blog post is my - Heart Art Assemblage #1. Many of the objects used to create the heart assemblage above came from a disassembled and then reimagined vintage seed planter. I first disassembled it so that I could take out the internal gears and some of the material used in the heart assemblage above was taken from the seed bag that had been attached to the planter. You will also see an old wire brush, a vintage crank and an old wood shuttle construct the arrow that is piercing the heart. My favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 13 and you will see it showing up in many of my works. With this work being a heart assemblage in 3 dimension I could not pass up including a page from the bible with 1 Corinthians 13 to show through in peek-a-book fashion through an opening of the seed spreader. It calls the viewer up close to peer through the hole to see what is inside.
I see the beauty in all things that are aged, worn and even in the state of decay. My inspiration for my heart art assemblages comes from the vintage/antique and junk items themselves. Each found object heart assemblage I create lets me recycle, reuse and repurpose vintage/antique and junk items that have otherwise been discarded by others and on it's way to the landfill. I take what others view as junk and I breathe new life into it by recycling, upcycling and repurposing it. I love the eco friendly, green nature of creating art from trash.
Heart Assemblage #2 ©Michel Keck. All Rights Reserved. (sold)
The heart assemblage shown above is another one of my “peek-a-boo” heart assemblages. The vintage speedometer—salvaged from an abandoned property on land belonging to my husband’s parents—created the perfect space to conceal scripture within the work. Only on close inspection can the viewer peer through the small window formed by the speedometer’s opening and discover the hidden text inside.
The heart is a recurring image throughout my work—appearing in my abstract paintings, collage pieces, and found-object assemblages. Each heart assemblage is shaped by whatever materials I have on hand at the time: discarded, collected, salvaged, or forgotten objects that ultimately dictate the direction and structure of the piece. In that sense, the heart becomes both form and process—built from what remains, what’s been overlooked, and what still carries energy. My ongoing fascination with the heart is deeply influenced by years of studying the research of the HeartMath Institute, whose work explores the powerful relationship between the heart and the brain. Their findings suggest that the heart generates its own complex electromagnetic field and communicates continuously with the brain, influencing perception, emotion, and decision-making. I’m drawn to the idea that the heart is not merely symbolic, but an active intelligence—one that quietly shapes how we think, feel, and experience the world.
Heart Assemblage #10. ©Michel Keck. All Rights Reserved. (sold)
As an artist working in bricolage—an approach rooted in building with whatever materials are available, often using found or repurposed objects—I let each piece guide me toward where it wants to go. Some would call this process collage, which traditionally involves layering images and materials on a flat surface, while others might describe it as assemblage, where physical objects are constructed into dimensional works. I work fluidly across both, moving between collage and assemblage through a shared language of bricolage. My found-object works often pass through many different lives and configurations before they arrive at their final form. I arrange and rearrange fragments again and again, sometimes dozens of times, until the disparate elements finally come together in harmony—and the piece unmistakably screams, I’m done!
My husband and I have always loved “junkin’” because we’re constantly making things. We had a dear friend named Hank who owned a property that felt straight out of Sanford & Son—a little bit of everything, everywhere. We would visit from time to time, digging through his treasures and often leaving with a car full of finds. On one trip, I brought home several old baseball mitts, and you’ll see part of one embedded in this heart. I loved how it created the feeling that the heart itself had been stitched back together.
The bright yellow wood came from an old child’s desk someone had painted years ago, and I attached an old light mechanism to it as a way of saying: always keep the light of your heart glowing. On another of our many visits to Hank’s, I scored a box of old 45s and records, and you’ll see those pieces reappearing throughout my heart and cross art assemblages.
All of my heart assemblages are one-of-a-kind—no two are ever alike. Subscribers to my newsletter receive first access to newly released heart pieces, giving them the opportunity to purchase before the work is officially listed on my website.
My heart assemblages make wonderful conversation pieces. Viewers naturally find themselves drawn in, spending time looking closely, discovering hidden objects, and noticing new details with each pass.
Each found-object heart assemblage comes fully wired and ready to hang. Every piece is an original work of art, artist-signed on the back, and arrives with a signed certificate of authenticity.
If you have any questions or would like to commission me to create a heart assemblage with your own personal items please email me or phone me direct at 219-306-9474. You can view my available heart art assemblages here.
#heartassemblages #heartart #foundobjectheartassemblages
