Whether we like it or not, our trash defines us.
So stop filling in complicated personality tests and take a quick look inside your own bin : the rest will follow.
Ever since last year, I’ve become fascinated by every aspect of getting rid of what you no longer need: how often people dispose of their stuff, how long they have used it, which emotions (if any) accompany the throwing-away ritual, etc.
Bins offer us a valuable insight into the futility and transience of our own lives. Call them my 21st Century take on 17th Century still-life paintings. Instead of skulls or oil lamps, used tissues or candy-bar wrappers now easily do the trick.
Bins give us a picture of a particular phase in a human beings life; they can portray different emotional states, addictions, obsessions and weaknesses. This doesn’t necessarily mean that bins always carry a negative meaning.
There are such things as Virtuous bins, which radiate self-control, stability and a healthy approach to life. Think empty packets of mint-tea, an empty bottle of facial toner and perhaps some worn-out tweezers and plastic fruit-juice bottles.
What follows is the beginning of my TRASH project, which I started last year. Instead of keeping a diary, I intend to keep a bin. Enjoy!
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