He was able to create works in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. His audiences were able to view these individual items in a completely different light. His boxes would speak to themes like birds, childhood, and space. Joseph Cornell, through his shadow boxes, was one of the first adopters of the form of art known as assemblage.
« Beauty should be shared for it enhances our joys. To explore its mystery is to venture towards the sublime. »
Joseph Cornell
Cornell’s work was technically in line with the
Surrealism movement, though he would come to dismiss this classification. He was opposed to the erotic and violent aspects of
Surrealism, but his work did incorporate such key
Surrealistic elements such as the juxtaposition of various unexpected
Read More He was able to create works in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. His audiences were able to view these individual items in a completely different light. His boxes would speak to themes like birds, childhood, and space. Joseph Cornell, through his shadow boxes, was one of the first adopters of the form of art known as assemblage.
« Beauty should be shared for it enhances our joys. To explore its mystery is to venture towards the sublime. »
Joseph Cornell
Cornell’s work was technically in line with the
Surrealism movement, though he would come to dismiss this classification. He was opposed to the erotic and violent aspects of
Surrealism, but his work did incorporate such key
Surrealistic elements such as the juxtaposition of various unexpected objects, and the inclusion of imagery that suggested a dream-like environment. (
Artist website)
Read Less 
