So Much Beauty, From The Compost - Part 2

To create these images, I collected items from my kitchen compost bin and arranged them in simple compositions. These remnants of our everyday activities are the unique subject in my photographs. Through the artistic process, they are transformed from mundane waste into extraordinary images. This transformation mirrors the one that occurs naturally through the composting process: wasted food scraps become a valuable soil amendment. This series of images was produced using the wet-plate collodion process. I chose this technique primarily because it produces unique pieces that I choose not to reproduce. This allows me to clearly proclaim the importance and showcase the intrinsic value of my subjects. In addition, I was drawn to wet-plate collodion photography because of its particular timeless aesthetic. As a result, the photographs have an interesting duality: they illustrate a more modern issue while resembling images from the past. Like many, I am concerned by the deterioration of our environment. Specific environmental issues are difficult to solve in isolation as all things are connected. My photographs, by emphasizing the beauty of mundane food waste, offer a counterpoint to the complexity of the problems we have to face. In addition, as composting food waste reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from landfills, the photographs highlight one personal action that is a small piece of an overall climate solution.