homage, photography vs painting

nude descending a staircase no. 2 by Marcel Duchamp

sequence

personal project

The images are an exploration of New York City's past and present.  New York City is always changing.  "Progress" destroys the old city and builds new building.  My project is a work of preservation thru pictures of store fronts of New York City before it is turned to rubble to and something new replaces it.

erie and unreal

light/color

abstract

WASTE LAND FILM REVIEW

Waste Land Film Review

            Vik Muniz is a photographer born in Brazil.  He was shot in the leg and and received money for compensation for his injuries. He used that money, to travel to NYC.  He started his art career as a sculptor but turn it into a career in visual art.  He started reproducing famous images with objects and then photographing them.  He decided to use his art to help people not as fortunate as him.  He decided to go to Brazil and work with people who work in the garbage dumps. He made a documentary film to show the people, way of life and the process to create his art pieces. The film is called Waste Land.

            The film starts in what seems to be a Brazilian version of the David Letterman show and the host introduces him as the most important Brazilian artist.  Then scenes of Carnaval at Rio de Janeiro and the garbage left behind when it is over.  Then Muniz explains his story with humble beginnings when he moved to New York City including how he was shot and used that money to travel north.  Film of his works are shown and also the production of how they are done.

            The film then starts to show the creative process of the project.  He talk to his friend and wife about the social aspect of his project and also dangers in creating it.  The actual motive is not the art itself but to change peoples lives because of the art. 

            The project starts with Muniz going to the outskirts of Rio where the biggest open air garbage dump in the world is.  It is called Jardim Gramacho.  He meets with some of the officials of the landfill and they take him to the area where the trucks are dumping the garbage.  There he sees many people looking through the garbage for recyclable materials some of whom would become his subject.  He starts taking some pictures of the people working.  One of the pickers gets close to him and then start talking and that seems like that breaks the ice. He then starts approaching people to talk to and ask them about their life. He then meets with some of the people of the Association of Pickers of Jardim Gramacho and they explain to him the goal of the organization, which is to give people better prices for their recycled garbage and a better quality of life for the pickers and their families.  He found the people to help him help themselves and others. 

            Muniz brings his photographic gear to the landfill to start taking pictures of his models.  While he takes their pictures, they explain how the job they are doing works and also about their lives and problems and tells them they are going to be famous and things will get better.  The film then shows them working picking garbage and also their home life. 

            The models then look thru the garbage and pick things to be used in the images.  Muniz starts analizing which pictures to use to make the images at the Centro Cultural Cidadao Leopoldinense.  The models/pickers go to the cultural center and Muniz explains to them how people will view the images.  He takes more pictures of one of the models with her children and then projects the image from above onto the ground that was painted white.  The models start placing the recycled garbage on the projection according to the shape and color that is projected, recreating the image.  Muniz directs them while viewing from above where he will be taking a photograph of the recreated image.  One by one, the models images are recreated with recycled materials and photographed.  The models gain confidence that because of this project and that they don’t want to go back to the landfill. 

            Muniz, his wife and friend begin to worry about the models future. What if nothing changes because of this project.  They had accepted their fate that picking was their life and now they want something different.  Had he messed with their brain without a guarantee of a better future?  Is it OK for them to accept their fate as pickers? Or is it OK for Muniz to spark the desire of something better in them, even if the project is not a catalyst for a better future?

            Muniz and one of the models, Tiao the head of the Pickers Association go to London to sell one of the images at an auction.  It sells for 28000 pounds which will go to the Association and his family. 

            All the models and Muniz go to see their images at the MAM (Museum of Modern Art) in Rio.  They were interviewed and gave their thoughts on the project.  Muniz, while at his studio, explains how when art involves people lives, whose lives are not good, its impossible to go there just to do art and not get involved emotionally with their lives and its problems. 

            In the end, Muniz was able to raise 250000 dollars, for the Association, the models and their families. Most of them, have a better life now that the project is over.  The movie ended with Tiao, now famous, being a guest in the same television show that Muniz was a guest on at the start of the movie.