Cultural Salvage is the process of recycling forgotten or abandoned cultural artifacts as a means of preserving awareness of the historical influences on modern culture. The Bag Lady, and associated artists like Marion Spitzley, have used a variety of approaches in their cultural salvage activities, including:

• Shopping at thrift stores, estate sales, and flea markets, to acquire artifacts undervalued by mainstream culture
• Restoring items too complex or fragile for modern manufacturing techniques to mass produce
• Transforming, through collage, bronzing, or other artistic methods, items with iconic power but little practical utility into forms more suited to long-term survival.

Categories: Glossary