“Lost and Found,” Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave

Several sculptors have mastered how to construct everyday materials together in innovative, thought-provoking ways. The exhibit “Lost and Found,” showcases many artists who focus on modern sculpture with reused objects.

Among those artists, American conceptual sculptor Tom Friedman’s 1999 piece “Untitled,” is a robot structure that illustrates an idea that simplicity can be complex through unlikely materials, in this case cardboard and Styrofoam.

At first glance, the roughly nine foot tall structure looks like it is made out of thin, intricately woven pieces of wood. At the same time, Freidman’s work looks messy and unintentional. However, after a few seconds of focusing on the sculpture, one will notice how precise and complicated it is.

Each part of the robot is made of cardboard, while tiny Styrofoam orbs alternating in size dress the robot from head-to-toe. They are glued on so meticulously that it looks as if they were organically grown from the cardboard, such as weeds are on grass.

The robot construction is apparent in its long legs, but the head of the machine is not so easily spotted, as it is reminiscent of one of the head statues from Easter Island. But Freidman’s precision only enhances how simple cardboard can transform into something huge. One could argue this construction has a bigger theme about life. Start off with a small idea and it could transform into a much larger thing.

The definitive mood the piece is neither melancholy nor cheerful. It simply inspires one to take a closer look and to have an open mindset, as the first question that pops into mind will be, “how did he do that?”

The other direction one’s attention will go to is the appreciation of mundane objects. A sculpture such as “Untitled,” uses cardboard in a ways that seem impossible, especially since it’s mostly used for boxes and toilet paper rolls. This is impressive because the entire robot is made through curves and lines.

The idea of using cardboard also seems as if it should be showcased in a middle school science project, which is the first impression one will get when looking at the structure. It is remarkable at how the piece literally dresses up the cardboard materials to make it look as if it cost a significant amount of money to create.

“Untitled” is just another example of how Freidman utilizes different objects. His other works consist of things such as sugar cubes, string and hair. Even if one isn’t typically a fan of modern, contemporary art, the consideration evoked from this piece is worth a visit to this exhibit.