Waste Land

I have never understood modern art, it has never made any sense to me.  But after watching the documentary “Waste Land” I now have a new appreciation for what it can represent.  In this documentary artist Vik Moniz transformed the lives of the “catadores”(pickers of recyclable materials)  of the world’s largest landfill, Jarim Gramacho, by making them the objects of his artwork. 

For the first part of the documentary all I felt was shock at the conditions that these people  live in.  They are the poorest of the poor and most of them have experienced hardships in their lives that I even imagine.  For the most part they were all trying to be positive but there was a sadness and despair behind their eyes that they couldn’t hide.  But as Vik involved them in his work all that started to change.  Being a part of Vik’s project gave them an opportunity to feel important and needed, something that every human being wants to feel.  But this project didn’t just help them spiritually, it helped them physically.  All of the money from the sale of the artwork was given back to the catadores of Jarim Gramacho.  Although the landfill was closed in 2012, the resilient spirit of the catadores lives on through the ACAMJG(Association of Recycling Pickers of Jarim Gramacho) and the people that are a part of it. 

I was inspired by Vik Moniz in this documentary because he took a talent he already possessed and used it to help others.  His actions inspired me to try to find ways to use my talents to help others as well. 

I know I haven’t done much to describe the nature of the actual art created, but it is literally too beautiful to be put in words.  If you would like to know more about the documentary “Waste Land” you can watch the trailer here: http://wastelandmovie.com/index.html


Picture source:
http://www.boumbang.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Vik-Muniz-27.jpg