Crunch

The themes among the trash replication projects in our class were food, consumption, and waste. What was especially interesting about this project was the fact that we spent hours upon hours examining items that are usually ignored. In replicating items that are valueless in our society we were able to recognize the complex design details that are normally disregarded.

This project also had the theme of power. To be able to recreate an item that is machine-made is a powerful feeling, despite the hours and hours it involves. While being able to replicate was a powerful feeling, it is also a scary notion. If trash can be replicated then so can any other material. This brings into question the idea of value. While in this specific project the replication is of higher value than the original, often the replication (of an artwork or money) is of less value than the original. These themes would be applicable to any kind of replication.

While certain objects in the class were clearly more identical to the original, I found those that were clearly distinguishable to be the most interesting to look at. While the assignment was to perfectly replicate a piece of trash, I found that the "mistakes" of certain pieces were the most aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps it is because of the unease one feels when they cannot distinguish two very different objects.

If I had selected anything to replicate I would still have chosen a piece of trash or at least a manufactured commercial good. This is because I love the power in being able to create a machine-made object and the parallel between an object that took possible seconds to produce and an adjacent object that took days, maybe even weeks.

The presentation of the trash replications sort of play a trick on the eye. They force the viewer to figure out the original and the fake, which is an exciting way to present art. The presentation gives a sort of pop art vibe and I would keep it that way, perhaps putting all the pieces together on a black background to complete the theme.