WASTE LAND, Vik Muniz

WASTE LAND


I first learned about Vik Muniz at UCLA from my TA, and I fell in love with his work immediately. Though he typically appropriates well known images, his use of every day objects on such a large scale really plays with the lay person's eye. His use of materials is thoughtful and provokes the reader to reevaluate the image's meaning.

Synopsis: Filmed over nearly 3 years, Waste Land follows Vik muiz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brasil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janiero. Muniz's initial objective was to "paint" the catadores (self-designated pickers of recyclable materials) with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives.

Source:  http://www.wastelandmovie.com/vik-muniz.html