Detritus
I take a lot of photos of detritus, otherwise known as trash. I'm certainly not the first photographer to do this; others have noticed the link between a medium of expression that freezes a moment in time and a subject matter embodying the passage of time. What is trash, after all, but stuff that was once useful & desirable, but no longer?
Photography and trash also make a good pair because of their close link to memory. Photos preserve events, serving as physical evidence for our uncertain memories. Trash is itself a form of memory, a reminder of what once was.
Here is a recent favorite from somewhere in the Village. It was the pink boxing-glove keychain that attracted my attention initially, and I only noticed the writing on the packaging in the lower right-hand corner after the fact (click image for larger photo):
Here are a few more:
The hand dropping off more waste into the basket was entirely serendipitous. Life is, indeed, weird.
More photos of trash can be seen here.
1 comments:
I've never pondered the parallel between trash and photos. It's a neat insight. But they're almost opposites. While trash may be a physical manifestation of the past, I wouldn't call it memory. After all, it is by definition what has been consciously or unconsciously discarded. While photos most often are memories that are consciously preserved. Anyway, I like the discarded calla lilies - a beautiful composition.
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