How did Marisol combine folk art and assemblage in her sculptures?

Marisol (1930–2016) was a unique sculptor whose work defies simple categorization, though she is frequently associated with Pop art due to her social and artistic connections during the 1960s.1

She combined folk art influences with the techniques of assemblage by creating boxlike, figurative sculptures primarily out of wood. Her approach involved:1

• Structural Foundation: She utilized roughly carved, blockish wooden forms as the base for her figures.1
• Mixed-Media Integration: She incorporated a variety of materials, including cast-plaster elements, painted details, and found objects, to embellish these wooden structures.1
• Juxtaposition: By combining these inert, blocky forms with specific accoutrements and found items, she achieved a signature style characterized by deadpan irony and satire.1

While her work shares the assemblage tradition of incorporating everyday objects, her aesthetic was deeply informed by diverse sources, including folk art, pre-Columbian art, and Dadaism, allowing her to create complex, often satirical tableaux of family units and public figures.1