Writing/Essay/Journal
Kyle Fokken sees artists as the “research and development wing of culture” – that they need to be on the edge to think about things that nobody wants to talk about. Describe what you think he means. Do you agree? Why or why not? What do you think are some of the topics that nobody wants to talk about?

Activity
Kyle Fokken describes his art as mixed-media collage, which he believes is different from junk sculpture. In junk sculpture, he says, the focus is on the junk; whereas in his work, he uses found objects to create something new in which the junk becomes hidden and transformed. Make your own mixed-media collage using recycled materials such as tin cans, plastic bottles, wire, old watch parts and used toys. Your goal is to create something new and artful so that the “junk” becomes secondary.