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NYC Garbage: Truly recycled art
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One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This is a saying Justin Gignac takes very literally. Initially, the artist was experimenting with recycled package designs, and now he sells packages of litter that make scraps of New York City life an art form.
Each clear box offered by NYC Garbage.com contains a unique piece of refuse, signed and numbered by the artist. The box boasts a sticker reading, "Hand-Picked from the fertile streets of NY, NY." Some might regard this artwork as, well, trash. Some could consider it pieces of New York they can keep with them wherever they go. Regardless, more than 1,200 boxes have sold to date, moving the litter from city streets to desks, bookshelves and other fun locations.
Perhaps people are swarming to purchase the $50 boxes because of a quiet understanding that they are artifacts in the making. A crumpled Starbucks cup with some ticket stubs or a beer can and a tube of lipstick capture the fragments of contemporary human life casually tossed aside. The art might be considered an homage to the wastefulness of everyday life that people will no longer be able to afford in coming years.
If people don’t stop to appreciate what they have -if they continue to take that latte cup for granted and blindly assume Starbucks will sell them a new one tomorrow – there might come a time when these resources will run out. Or maybe there will come a time when these wasteful products will not run out but rather be ruled out.
With Americans’ increased efforts to go green in 2010, maybe reusable cups will become standard, or paper movie tickets will go electronic.
Interested art lovers and the environmentally conscious might want to invest in these boxes. If nothing else, you’re helping to clear the city streets. But you never know – this might be a chance to snag priceless collectibles before society cleans up.
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I have been recycling newspaper into art for 30 years! Well done on going green, Mr. Gignac!