Dictionary
Assemblage

Assemblages [French "assemblage" = assembling, fitting together] are three-dimensional objects in the field of the visual arts. An assemblage usually consists of objects mounted on a panel but it can also be described as a sculptural collage with a relief-like surfaces. The French artist Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) invented Assemblage but it has also been used by such artists as Joseph Cornell, Edward Kienholz, Louise Nevelson and Martial Raysse. Daniel Spoerri developed his trap pictures from Assemblage; Arman made Accumulations. Robert Rauschenberg's Combine Paintings link Assemblage with painting. Christo and Jeanne-Claude use the Assemblage technique for their "empaquetage" (packaging).