As David Hume said in his essays, "Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them." It's David Hage's hope that you find beauty in yourself, others, and the world around you. 

David's appreciation for the inherent value and interest in discarded objects naturally gave birth to his Things Found (Out) series. To date, David has recycled over 350 pounds of discarded materials. As he started  incorporating found elements into his art, he began to see a connection between the found objects as they related to the new artwork, himself, and the world around him.

We all have certain personal experiences that affect the way we interact with ourselves and others. As David acknowledged this relationship in the context of past and present, old and new, discarded and accepted, he began to consider many things about himself and the broader world. He started to see the beauty in things that others considered waste.

In addition to being linked to David's personal history, he's connected with friends, strangers, and concepts that surround his experiences with these people and their unwanted objects. Through this body of work, his past and present have been simultaneously tied to someone else’s. Overall, he's experienced a rich connection with a broad and diverse group of people and concepts.

The materials and techniques David used are diverse and many. A significant portion of the found objects came from his family’s rural Pennsylvania farm; a lot of the other objects came from other places, such as roadsides, garage sales, The Salvation Army, dumpsters, and friends who have kindly saved unique odds and ends for use in his work. More traditional media were also utilized including oil, acrylic, charcoal, graphite, and paper to name a few.

Developing this body of work involved a unique and intuitive process. Some pieces were completed in one several-hour session. Others evolved over the period of many months. Each piece relates to unique experiences David had while making the art and to the history each piece retains from its life as something else.

David hopes that the juxtaposition between these objects and the way they've been incorporated into new compositions encourages viewers to consider themselves in the context of their broader environment as well as how they impact it and how it impacts them.

Shown above is just a small sampling from this vast collection. If you're interested in viewing or exhibiting the whole series of work, please get in touch with David. He gladly welcomes inquiries about this and all of his other collections.