Is that waste, garbage? No, wait it's WASTE ART!

My sister in California sends me many interesting emails; I recently received one pertaining to recycling. I had not spoken with her recently so she knew nothing about this blog. When I looked at the slide show, I knew I was on the right track.

A group called GIA -- Grupo de Impacto Ambiental created a powerpoint slideshow about an artist named Chris Jordan. It is titled Waste Art, and yes, it does pertain to recycling. It shows us how wasteful we have become. This is why we need to change our habits. Not just for ourselves but we need to set good examples for the youngsters in the next generation. After all, kids learn by doing what they see. If they witness adults doing the right thing, there's a greater likelihood that they will as well. This show can be viewed here.

Chris Jordan is an American photographic artist with an idea towards making a difference. It appears he is both appalled and awed by the amount of waste produced in the world today.

The photos that appear in the Waste Art show were taken from Jordan's exhibit Running the Numbers An American Self-Portrait which ran from 2006-2009.

In his words he describes this exhibit:

This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, I hope to raise some questions about the roles and responsibilities of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming

Some of the photos that intrigued me most are:

Depicts 200,000 packs of cigarettes, equal to the number of Americans who die from cigarette smoking every six months.

Blogs that I've located relating to this artist and the work he is currently doing -- Inhabitat, Clean the Air and Stalkmarket