Compressed Trash City

The Compressed City" is a photography series captured between 2017 and 2023 in New York City. It focuses on street garbage, reflecting the city's waste issue and its impact on people's psychological state. The artwork emphasizes the connection between garbage and human existence, symbolizing the pressure and constraints of modern society. Through synthetic imagery and symbolism, it urges viewers to address environmental concerns and handle psychological stress in a healthier way. Title: The Compressed City Year: 2017 – 2023 By Mengting Matilda Zhou "The Compressed City" is a series of photographic works captured by me in New York City, using Minolta 135 film camera and Hasselblad 120 camera. This project commenced in 2017, with a focus on the accumulation of garbage on the streets, reflecting the significant waste problem and garbage management system in New York City. However, the series was not complete until the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, when I revisited the photographs and discovered a newfound inspiration for further artistic creation. In 2017, I captured various types of garbage, trash bags, and towering piles of cardboard boxes, which left a profound impact on me. The scenes of excessive waste fixed at street corners were both shocking and thought-provoking. These discarded items were not merely waste; they symbolized the lifestyle and consumption patterns of a city, shedding light on people's indifference to the environment and wasteful use of resources. Nevertheless, the series of works did not merely serve as a revelation of the garbage issue; it aimed to convey a deeper level of contemplation. As the project progressed, I gradually realized the connection between the existence of these discarded items and people's psychological states. I was inspired to concentrate on the compressed cardboard boxes. In my eyes, the garbage scenes in the city became a symbol of the pressure and constraints prevailing in modern society. Similar to the "compress" function on a computer, when clicking on an image and right-clicking, one can find the "compress" command in the fifth or sixth row, which means compressing files to reduce their size. People's emotions and psychological states seemed to be compressed to the point of suffocation. This condition was not limited to individuals; it mirrored the prevailing collective psyche in society. Factors such as the pandemic, wars, economic downturns, unemployment, and social turmoil have burdened people with tremendous pressure, as if they were compressed within an enclosed space. While my artwork does not feature human presence, each cardboard box represents human existence. These boxes are products of human production, usage, recycling, or abandonment, closely intertwined with the lives of individuals. Through the association of garbage with human existence, my work aims to explore the current state of human survival and struggle. "The Compressed City" presents my profound observations and reflections on the garbage problem in New York City and the prevailing human psyche in contemporary society. I hope this series of works can raise public awareness of the urban environment and psychological well-being. Employing synthetic imagery and symbolic representation, my artwork serves as a reminder to the audience to pay attention to environmental issues and contemplate the irresponsible waste of resources in modern society. Additionally, I aim to convey understanding and care, urging people to pay attention