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Art and Readings for Project 4

Discussion of at least 3 Artworks from the project references located in the course outline (100 words minimum for each artwork)

Discussion of Text from the project references located in the course outline (200 word minimum for each text);

Topics - Enclosure & Occupation Movements, Politics (in various shades of green), Political Economy & the big picture, Real Space, Real Time.

Text

The Many Roles of a Tree, pgs 85 - 86. Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway - Text Preview

Chapter 2: The Gardner's Ecology, pgs 19 - 27. Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway - Text Preview

Artwork

Joseph Beuys - 7000 Oaks Natalie Jeremijenko - To Life. pgs. 210-216 Alan Sonfist - To Life. pgs. 111 - 116. Bonnie Ora Sherk - To Life. pgs. 105 - 110.EcoArtSpace Interview Amy Franceschini - To Life pgs. 171 - 177. Amy Franceschini & Future Farmers - Victory Garden Peter von Tiesenhausen guerrillagardening.org Scot Kaplan - Weeding Mission Possible Shelley Sacks, Exchange Values Fritz Haeg - Edible Estates, Animal Estates Lynne Hull - Dan Halter, Mesembryanthemum Space Invader, 2014.   Critical Art Ensemble To Life. pgs. 147 - 153. Nicole Fournier - Poly Agriculture. To Life. pgs. 165-171. J.J. McCracken - Hunger, 2012 Susanne Cockrell and Ted Purves of Temescal Amity Works Beatriz Da Costa, Dying for the Other 1, 2 Beatriz Da Costa, The Life Garden Beatriz Da Costa, Anti-Cancer Survival Kit How Art Can Change the Way We Eat at TEDxManhattan

Video

Bonnie Sherk, EcoArtSpace Interview Future of Food dirs. Deborah Koons. (2004). The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil The Garden dir. Scott Hamilton Kennedy. (2008). Food Inc. dir. Robert Kenner (2008).

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A Glimpse of Polyface Farms-

These are photos I took at the farm. There were also pigs and cows. 

During the tour, it was explained that the chicken coops seen above were moved easily across the field in a year, a little every day, to give the chicks new things to eat. Then the chicken houses for the older chickens were placed in fields left by cows so they could fertilize the land and eat the parasites out of the cow dung. 

Every element of the farm seemed like a natural cycle and replenishing system, as I imagine it was always intended to be in nature. 

They also made their own jams and honey and tea and cookies. The cookies were sea salt and molasses and were absolutely delicious.

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Project for Potluck- Lemon Balm Tea

Let me preface by saying-

LEMON BALM IS AWESOME!!!

I learned so much about this herb from the 24 hours it took me to come up with the idea, pick the lemon balm leaves, eat a few (that’s where it all started), and boil the tea to chill overnight. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures. Still, believe that I did this and let me tell you how it went.

First of all, I came up with the idea to make Lemon Balm tea when I was directed to the “weed” in the Green Studio outside the Art building. A classmate handed me some, told me it was like lemony mint, and I tried a leaf. They were right. I thought to myself, this would make a nice iced tea! Lemon and mint! I decided then and there that that would be my contribution- Simple but delicious, I thought.

Secondly, I had to look up recipes. Fortunately, my idea was simple enough that the recipes only validated what I already assumed- boil water and steep a bunch of leaves, adding honey to taste. Thankfully, we already have some local honey (of which I scooped out the last for this tea).

While I was prepping, I washed the leaves and broke off the stems. I noticed I had picked far too many leaves and so decided to eat a few.

This is where things get awesome!!!!

I am an anxious, restless person. I am nearly always shaking my legs or fidgeting in some way, I feel constantly worked up, and I stress and worry over little things on a daily basis. After I ate just 4 leaves, I thought I was gonna die!

Let me explain. After I ate those leaves, my heart rate fell. I stopped fidgeting. I felt a little drowsy. I had no worries. I laid in bed, got on Skype with my fiance, and smiled. And then I asked him what the fuck was wrong with me. He graciously reassured me and looked up on WebMD what effects Lemon Balm has on people. Sure enough, Lemon Balm has been linked to calming anxiety, ADHD, insomnia, and restlessness among things like easing stomach ailments and thyroid issues.

WHAAAAAAT?! THAT’S INCREDIBLE!!!! I was so happy and so calm, I didn’t feel at all like myself. 

And now I am about to serve this delicious tea to the rest of my class!

BTW, I did also read from a few different sites that you should check with a doctor if you’re taking medication for thyroid issues as the herb might interact badly with your medication. 

And remember, always take in small doses! 

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Art and Readings for Project 3

-Artworks-

“The Yes Men�� 

The Yes Men was extremely inspirational to me. These few men with hardly anything to their names go out and change the world by revealing the truth in the most deceptive ways possible. By impersonating reporters, company owners, and other people of influence in corporate America (not live ones with names, so it’s technically not illegal), they go out and learn what they can about the truth behind issues we as a nation prefer to cover up. I find them funny in their dark and all-too-honest humor, which seems ridiculous to an outside perspective. However, within corporations they present to, it is surprising to see just the extent of the lengths people will go to get more money out of things, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

“Beehive Design Collective”

The name is a bit deceptive in itself. Although dedicated to bringing awareness to environmental issues through the use of artistic murals, this collective has hardly anything to do with actual bees. The murals are huge collective art pieces that act as animalized political comics. They are designed and drawn by a large group of volunteers all researching which issues are most relevant at the time and coming up with visual representations of these issues almost cryptically. The art itself is very story-book like and full of animals doing human things. The line-art and monochromatic coloring/shading techniques give it a newspaper like quality. This is an on-going outreach program, so I suggest looking into them if you’re interested in using your art to spread awareness of current issues.

“Cricket-Activated Defense System” 

This is a very unique and rather violent approach to keeping Loggers out of certain areas. With the use of residential crickets, the “defense system” is rigged to fire missiles and scare off potential loggers in the woods. The explanation was very wordy, but the gist of it is this: Crickets have a way of guarding, or at least warning, against the “encroachment of invasive species” through way of specific chirps. This defense system of firing missiles will only be activated, deploying said missiles, when enough of the population of crickets echo the chirp, warning the land and the device that people are around. Though this could potentially react to more than just loggers, it is a good way of keeping out trespassers. (The site also mentions collaborating with engineers, artists, eco-scientists and the like, but I’m not entirely sure how.)

-Readings-

“Art, Environment, Action!”

This article goes in depth to explain the purpose of art in environmental activism. It includes explanations about activist artist groups, such as the Beehive Collective. That particular group is a gathering of artists who create large murals depicting politically-charged images addressing environmental issues. For more on the Beehive Collective, see above.

These groups require the involvement of many artists, usually on a volunteer basis. It brings the community together to use their talents to spread awareness of the state of the environment while also sometimes stepping forward to make some change. The change could be tangible, like an aesthetically pleasing yet functional garden, or else more mental, like the work done by the Yes Men which is more about social experimentation.

“Ecovention: Direct Engagement” 

Artists are more than just pretty-picture-makers. According to this article, artist are “essentially activists” because their work is inherently political. Why? Because art is about bringing forth truth. It reveals through visual and other sensitive representation the underlying structures of societies and cultures. It shows through unconventional ways things that would otherwise be pushed under the rug or pass by the average passerby. One man, Joseph Beuys, took to the bogs he loved and subjected himself to the muck. He also traveled around to coyotes and hung out with the animals he loved. His art performances all had to do with ecology and how humanity and the world fit together. The article goes on to list tens of artists who have all contributed to the ecological aspects of Art as Activism. 

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Rehabilitate Our Mason Pond

Project-

Issue- The Mason Pond has been the eyesore of the campus for too long. Not only that, but the pond has not been drudged in far too long and it is affecting the environment negatively. The silt and waste build-up from the earth, rain water, geese, and even students’ litter is a hazard to the wildlife and to the stream of water that flows from the pond to the bay. The pond is meant to be a healthy place for storm water drainage as well as an environment safe for geese and other animals to congregate should they need to.

Approach- We want to fix the ecological disaster that is the pond by petitioning to first drudge it, then plant many species of perennial flowers, ferns, and grasses to grow around the edge of the pond, bringing beauty and nutrients to the biome.

Strategy- Research, create a plan, design future, post plan, raise awareness

Who- Most of the EcoArt class, led by Maria

What- A poster board with information on the Pond and the future plan, also an online FB page

Where- Presented in the JC and online

When- During class time, 2pm-4pm on March 24th, 2016

How- A couple students presented the board at a table in the JC, calling attention to it and explaining the significance and importance of the project to all who would listen

Why- To raise awareness and get people interested in the future of our immediate environment and help people come together in the school to realize this isn’t a small issue and needs to be addressed and righted.

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Weeeds~

Weeds I found-

-dandelion

-deadnettle

-dock

-ground ivy

-henbit

-clover

-thistle

-woodsorrel

-comfrey

Their uses-

1. Used for liver and kidney disorders; “A broth of Dandelion roots, sliced and stewed in boiling water with some leaves of Sorrel and the yolk of an egg, taken daily for some months, has been known to cure seemingly intractable cases of chronic liver congestion.” (source) Also good for digestion and constipation.

2. Eat to gain anti-oxidants, and the flowers taste like nectar. Also high in fiber, vitamins, and iron. The entire plant is edible and is part of the mint family. (source)

3. These are “high in vitamin c, vitamin a, protein, and iron, according to the USDA. [...]  Bitter dock is well, bitter, to the equivalency of dandelion and other bitters.  Bitter is medicinal, flat out.  When cooked, spiced correctly, and added in the right food combinations it tastes just fine.  The greens of curly dock are an excellent sour vegetable, picked young, until they grow a stalk and go to flower in mid-summer which gives way to a tannic taste which is potentially higher as well in oxalic acid.  You will find increasing degrees of bitterness in the leaves as the stalk is growing, and after flowering they will especially become texturally tough and bitter.  Nothing that cooking in a change of water won’t solve.” But don’t eat too much or it could affect your kidney and cause kidney stones, as could too much spinach in your diet. (source)

4. You can make tea out of it. Also in the mint family. 

“Ground ivy was highly regarded for its medicinal value. The juice of the plant acted as a diuretic, astringent and diaphoretic making it especially useful for sinus congestion and headaches. A snuff was made from the dried powdered leaves. The expressed juice, used fresh and “snuffed” up the nose prompted relief from colds and migraine headaches.Gill tea acted as an expectorant and was a popular remedy for coughs and consumption as well as whooping cough, bronchial catarrh and asthma. The high vitamin C content made ground ivy useful in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. Gerard also recommended using it “against the humming noise and ringing sound in the ears, being put into them, and for them that are hard of hearing” The ability of ground ivy to act as both a stimulant and tonic made gill tea especially useful for those suffering from weak digestive systems and complaints. Acting as a blood purifier, it proved helpful for those suffering from kidney ailments such as gravel or stones.” (source)

5. “Edible Uses:Young leaves henbit dead-nettle are considered to be edible raw or cooked. They have been used as additions to salads or as a potherb.Medicinal Uses: The plant is antirheumatic, excitant, fever-reducing, laxative, stimulant, and has agents that induce sweating.” (source)

6. “Companion plant for: Brassica (cabbage and its cousins like broccoli and cauliflower), corn, cucurbits (cucumber, squash, melons, gourds). Along with clover’s ability to bring nitrogen back into depleted soil (hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots) clover also benefits many plants by stabilizing the moisture around their roots. Edibility: Clover is a high-protein legume, but is not generally eaten, although it is a viable food source.” (source)

7. “It has attractive magenta flowers that can be eaten as a vegetable, that tastes a bit like artichoke.Other parts of the plant that can be eaten are the stalks which are a bit like asparagus, and the leaves are eaten like lettuce.The roots after being soaked overnight are used like oyster plant and the roasted seeds or fruit, can be used like coffee. So this common 'weed' may be more useful than you thought.The most important uses for milk thistle are for medicinal purposes, and the seeds or fruit are collected to make remedies.The most valuable part of milk thistle is the fruit, (also known as the seeds), which are used to make natural herb based remedies. There are many benefits of milk thistle seeds, as this is where silymarin is located.” Helps clean liver, prevent cancer, lowers cholesterol, etc. (source)

8. “ It's deliciously sour, but in a pleasant, non-bitter way. It reminds me of lemons, and in fact, the French used to blend dried wood sorrel with sugar and make a "lemon free lemonaid powder." As with most sour vegetables, it's very high in Vitamin C and has medicinal properties (see below.) It's very refreshing on hot days. Since it can often be found along trails, it is a perfect mid-hike thirst quencher. The leaves, flowers, green seed pods, and roots are all edible, raw or cooked. It can be eaten straight out of the ground, added to soups, made into a sauce, or used as a seasoning. As a seasoning, it provides a lemony/vinegary taste to whatever it's added to. It's been traditionally popular as a compliment to fish, and makes a great stuffing for fresh fish on the campfire (yum!) In lieu of a blender to make "lemonaid powder," you can just boil it with sugar, then let it cool, and you'll have a sweet sorrel tea that tastes similar to lemonaid. However, DO NOT CONSUME WOOD SORRELS IN EXCESS!!! See warnings below!!!! Medicinal Value It has diuretic, antiscorbutic (which means it treats scurvy) and cooling properties. The cooling factor is very useful in treating fevers. The diuretic property can help with urinary disorders, and it has been used to treat hemorrhages. HOWEVER, it should NOT be used by anyone with kidney disorders or rheumatic disorders. The oxalic salts are also bad for people who suffer from gout. It's soothing to the stomach, relieves indigestion, can produce an appetite, and can help stop vomiting. It also acts as an astringent, which constricts blood vessels...useful to help stop bleeding. Sorrels are attributed with blood cleansing properties and are sometimes used by cancer patients. WARNINGS! Wood sorrels contain rather high amounts of potassium oxalate and oxalic acid and should be avoided by people with kidney disease, kidney stones, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout. Some people can have allergic reactions to wood sorrels. As with anything, you should consume it in moderation. Excessive consumption can cause calcium to leech out of your bones, super bad for the ladies. And, although less dire, you need to be careful eating too much raw sorrel because it can give you the runs. In a camping situation, this is exceedingly unpleasant. In a survival situation, it could mean the difference between life and death. Cooking plants with oxalic acid reportedly renders them harmless, so you can easily avoid this if you're sensitive to oxalic acid or just want to be super careful. ” (source) 

9. “ Externally, it is said to be anti-inflammatory and speed wound healing due to its natural concentration of allantoin." (source)

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Images of some of the weeds we found and collected

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Birdhouse ideas

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Project #2, Change and Summary

So the chia pet idea is a bust. I have now joined with Maria to collaborate on a project to add flowers and bird houses to a park near her to create a more beauteous atmosphere, with the added bonus of helping bring in pollinators needed in our area. I am focusing my personal efforts, now, on designing bird houses for hummingbirds and other local pollinating birds like the Golden finch. These birdhouses will be interspersed through the flowers Maria has found and proposed to the HOA in her area. 

Her proposal includes more about the specific flowers to be used, where they will be planted, and how they will help not just the birds, but also the watershed of the stream that flows through the park. 

For my part of the project, I designed the birdhouses that would be placed in the park. What I wanted to create was a birdhouse that would have sections dedicated to different species. I also made the top of the birdhouses lampposts, but that was an aesthetic idea that may not be utilized. I thought it could be solar-powered, as well. 

The design of the birdhouses took a while to create. First, we had to research which types of birds were pollinators in our Northern Virginia area. Then, I went in and weeded out the birds that would house more in densely wooded areas, or urban areas, as this was not the right environment for them. I ended up with a handful of species- hummingbirds, chickadees, and a few others that are written in my notes which will be posted later. Lastly, I needed to research which types of birdhouses attracted these species the best. Again, this is all written in the notes I will post in a minute.

The resulting birdhouse-lightpost design has bronze leaves for hummingbird nests nearer to the bushes, a bronze vine that snakes its way up the post, and an additional three birdhouses, spaced apart, for different birds to nest in. 

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Project Proposal #2 (now obsolete)

Issue- The neighborhood is not a very pleasant view and the local wildlife isn’t seen very often.

Approach- Create a cute sculpture of a bunny out of clay and then plant seeds on it to attract bunny rabbits.

Genre- Sculpture

Strategy- Mold a clay bunny with small indentations for seeds to be planted, then insert the seeds, place it in the front lawn and water it to create an edible bunny bush.

Who- Me

What- An off-brand bunny chia-pet

Where- Wherever there’s room? Maybe at home, or maybe outside the school. More likely somewhere outside by the Art Building. Actually, it might do well on a path in the woods behind my house- attract the bunnies where people will see them, but where it is safer for them to travel (only foot traffic, not cars). 

When- Within the next week it will be placed, but then the rain will take over and help the chia pet to grow throughout the course of its life.

How- Using clay to mold a hollow bunny with ridges for seeds, bake it, put in the seeds, and place the sculpture out to expose it to the elements, especially rain.

Why- Bunnies are native to our Northern Virginia area, and they help the environment and bring joy to the people who see them but are often hidden because of the developed areas in our neighborhoods, so this will attract them to keep them around, but will also bring joy to the people who see them as they walk by in the woods; their natural habitats.

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Research Text Discussion #2

Creative and Green: Art, Ecology, and Community

by Sarah E. Graddy

Chapter 2: Art in Land and Water Remediation

In this lengthy article, it was proposed that you cannot have good art without good science, but on that point, I disagree. I believe that in many cases, art is separate from science, and in those moments can be good art. However, if the art is dependent on science but is not informed, then yes, it would be “bad art.” Art is always better when it has meaning attached to reality, especially if there is a message or purpose to the art beyond its first, superficial, aesthetic appearance.

The artists mentioned wanted to use art to bring people together to create art that would help the environment and clean the water, especially of a particular park, but also just in general, I think they wanted to create a system that could be replicated in other areas. Their goal was to “restore a healthy balance to the lagoon.” They did this through the re-introduction of species of plants and animals native to the area by creating environments they could thrive in. The way the environment of the park was designed was to invite the public to form a connection and relationship with the environment; for people to fall in love with the eco-system. The paths were set up so the public would “move through the space to give access to the plants and animals living there.” The artists wanted to encourage and execute water-purification, and get lots of community involvement with the project. You can move through the ecosystems in the park and see all the different types of animals and plants native to the lands that were destroyed by humanity, reclaiming the earth for the earth’s sake.

So the main purpose of this project was to create a series of eco-system set into motion by the community, having people get their hands dirty in order to reclaim the earth and attempt to restitute the earth that we helped to damage in the first place. 

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Research- Art Discussion #2

Discussion of Biosculptures

Jackie Brookner created a series of environmental landscapes and sculptures, referred to as “biosculptures,” to not only create beautifying scenery for aesthetic appeal, but also brought forth useful “biogeochemical filters” to help bring health back to the environment. In this specific case, Brookner created large, stone hands dipped into the stream, covered by living organisms like moss and ferns, with other plant-life, that would actually help the water to heal and strengthen from the nutrients provided and toxins absorbed by these plant lifeforms. It provides a meaningful piece of art, both biogeochemically assertive as well as visually appealing. But the use of hands shows symbolism reflecting how reaching out a helping hand can help- we can actually positively influence the environment.

...of Rhinewater Purification Plant

This piece includes a large tank within the museum full of water and fish. The water filters in and out of the museum again and the newly purified water is used throughout the museum and its grounds. This fish tank and filtration system was created by Hans Haacke and the system is now used widely, maybe without the added goldfish, but the “grey water reclamation” technique was revolutionary and helped future water purification systems. It was made in 1972, which made it quite a novelty ahead of its time.

...of Dreher Park

So this park was already in use before Brookner came along to improve it. He decided to artistically change the landscape to help “improve stormwater capacity” in the park. This would help to keep the water from flooding the park, or from being too absorbed into the ground, ruining the soil and the vegetation. They created sculptures for the environment that, like with the biosculptures mentioned previously, both benefited the environment and the park as well as the visitors, giving them a more inviting Park to find recreational use there. They have wetlands, soil mounds, and even a Seminole-inspired medicinal garden.

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Project Summary

Mimi Fuerst and I teamed up together over the course of a week or two, emailing back and forth and texting different images and ideas and progress reports on our parts of this project.

We are now calling this project “Trash to Treasure” as it portrays the trashed remnants left behind by users of products as the “treasure” those users had initially assumed these objects were. It flips the idea of prized treats on its head, making the viewer reevaluate how they see what they consume. Almost always, advertising for products will be made to ignore the result of consumption and focus solely on the immediate gratification and satisfaction of opening up a can of cool, acidic, liquid tar, not on the trash that can will become later on. Though not the only negative impact, litter definitely contributes to the pollution of the world, and we ignore that reality to replace with our own ideals and fantasies of what we think should taste good, even if we were never meant to consume it.

We started this project by coming upon trash outside, littered, and taking photographs of the trash. From there, we searched online for the pristine, untouched versions of these products and placed all images atop similar backgrounds to make them pop like ads. For the backgrounds, we chose colors that would seem cohesive- blue and yellow, yellow, and blue. Also, the products we chose to depict had color schemes that fit this motif, as well, making the pieces more visually coinciding. Then, we placed the photos atop the backgrounds, added a bit of shadow, and smudged the whole thing to create streaks like oil-painting marks, all in photoshop. We did this to give the images a more prestigious look to juxtapose with the trash aspect and bring attention to the litter in a new light.

We also played with the idea of using a fake gilded frame around the images to add a level of ridiculousness, which would be completely inappropriate to the images of trash, but after a bit of debating, we left that idea alone. It may be reconsidered in the future, however. We shall have to wait and see.

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I do feel that the last one is not as well-edited as the first two, but still, the work and love put into these was worth the struggle.

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Project Change

All right, so. I have decided to drop my idea altogether and have joined forces with Mimi to create “paintings” of Products, new and trashed.

At first, this was suggested as actual oil paintings, but soon she and I came together to conclude we’d rather use Photoshop to create photo-realistic faux-paintings. We have three sets of two. 

Unfortunately, the file sizes of the first attempts we did are a bit too large for me to post here, but Mimi and I decided to split the work up between us as I would paint the new ones, she would do the trash ones. The detail is hard to see, but it was pretty fun to work on this. Tedious and frustrating and monotonous, but still pretty fun.

Showing the result of an advertised product after its disuse compared to its shiny new advertisement is a nice juxtaposition and shows the truth behind the ad, hopefully making the viewer uncomfortable by seeing the trash displayed as “desirable” as the original product.

We don’t have any real “failed” images or sketched ideas so much as “works in progress,” save for maybe a couple trash images we didn’t end up using, like a dirty water bottle or fruit bar wrapper. 

I will post my contribution, the new product pages, soon after I post this.

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Project Proposal

Issue- Too much personal waste taking up space with no real purpose

Approach- Use accumulated recyclable materials in possession to create a piece of art that reflects the need to feed the Earth more

Genre- Sculpture

Strategy- Cut up pieces of cardboard, paper, and plastic from the materials in my possession to create plants, like the “Grass” project, some with pots, some not

Who- Me

What- Plant sculptures made of recycled material

Where- Wherever there’s room? Maybe at home, or maybe outside the school. More likely somewhere outside by the Art Building

When- In the next few weeks, right? Or couple weeks? Or five days? I’m a bit confused on this point.

How- Taking cardboard, paper, tin, and plastic, cutting them into blades for leaves or connecting them to create flowers in pots made of the tin or plastic bottles and arranging them into a nice little garden

Why- Creating a landscape out of materials we’ve bastardized is a way of reminding us where we come from and what our materials come from, returning our attention to the Nature we think so little of in our day-to-day lives.

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Research- Art Discussion

Discussion of Grass

The “Grass” sculpture project was created by Harriette Estel Berman. The purpose was to address the issue of a green lawn as a sign of consumerism, therefore Berman created “lawns” made of post-consumer tins that were cut in design of blades of grass. Apparently, having well-watered lawns is not environmentally friendly. This is especially true in arid environments that naturally have no lawns. But as we plant and maintain green pastures where none should exist, this puts a strain on our water supply and therefore wastes a valuable, vital resource to our lives for a vanity, like Las Vegas.

..of River Cubes

The River Cubes were created by several different artists across America, specifically Middleton, Connecticut and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These “cubes” were created from refuse found in gardens, rivers, and other natural locations that had been sullied with the trash of Man. These cubes are made of rusted metals, plastics, and other man-made materials that had once been products used in everyday life, then tossed aside, discarded in nature. Basically, the idea was to create sculpture made of litter to represent how we impact our world with the trash we heap into it. These locations are watersheds suffering from contaminating the water we all rely on and need to be clean.

…of Trash Portrait

Artist Tim Gaudreau began a series of recording everything he ended up disposing over the course of a year by photographing every bit of trash he had. This included recyclable materials, but not food, save for the packaging the food was wrapped in. It became a self-portrait, recording how this one person’s private life still negatively affected the environment. By the end of it, Gaudreau had posted the images all over the walls of one room in a gallery. There were over 5,000 photos in this piece. This project enlightened the artist to just how much waste he was producing, especially in the form of convenient plastic bottles.