From 'trash' to art

I had a rare moment tonight, in which I got to listen to NPR — a favorite pastime of mine when I used to get stuck in hours of traffic on my way home from work in L.A.

I got to hear Kai Ryssdal's beautiful voice on Marketplace (he looks different in person than I would have imagined), but I also got to hear this interesting story about a documentary about men and women in Brazil who sift through the largest landfill in the world in Rio de Janeiro looking for recyclables, and the work of Brooklyn-based artist Vik Muniz, who photographed and created fine art based on the photographs and using trash from the landfill.

For the men and women in this documentary, this is a way of making a living — they sell the recyclables to wholesalers. For Muniz, his work is ostensibly a way to make a difference in these people's lives. It's inspiring to see something so beautiful coming out of/being inspired by the "pickers'" work.

Listen to the story:

Watch the trailer:

WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.

"Waste Land" opened in New York today. I enjoyed hearing about it. Now, I look forward to (hopefully) seeing it.

www.wastelandmovie.com

Beachy Halloween inspiration

My amazingly creative sister just texted me a picture of the Halloween costume she is designing. When she was in Montauk a couple weeks ago, she was inspired by "things that wash up on the beach," so she is going as a giant shark's tooth! It looks awesome — I hope there will be plenty of photos of the finished product.

A friend is joining in on the theme and going as an old boot. I haven't given much thought about a Halloween costume for myself, but Kat asked what I would go as if I were joining in on the theme. I think she half expected me to say "a piece of plastic."

Sweet dirt

Happy to report that the compost doesn't stink one bit! Smells fresh even. In fact, there seems to be a healthy bit of soil already starting to form.

I was a little worried when, after I dumped the first of my veggie scraps and some dried leaves into it, I read that "it's a common mistake to use too much water — it's probably the most common reason for failures" — and then it rained for three days.

Sometimes nature amazes me.

Like tonight when I was turning out the lights to go to sleep and there was a glow coming from beneath the floor-length curtains so bright that I thought I must have left a light on outside. It is the moon. Beautiful, full, amazing.

Mini beach cleanup

Just a quick hello (and goodbye) to the beach this morning before Mom and Kat had to head back home to South Carolina.

Today's total:

1 unidentified plastic flower-looking thing + 1 piece of Styrofoam
+ 1 unidentified small plastic green thing

Saved today from the Great Atlantic Garbage Patch: 3 pieces of plastic.

Total saved: 192

'Are you really going to schlep that?'

Tybee.
(This photo snapped by Kat.)

"Are you really going to schlep that back to the house?"

This incredulous question from a friend of the family who is visiting this weekend caught me a little off guard. Not that I'm looking for approval for taking trash up from the beach, but I haven't yet really had to explain myself. Anyone I've encountered on my walks who has commented on me picking up trash has had something semi-encouraging to say. But this friend can at times be a little brusk, and I didn't know what to expect. I stood my ground and simply said "yes," which seems to have been enough, as conversation quickly moved back to the dogs who were running up in the high grass near the dunes.

By the way, isn't Tybee beautiful? She's the friend's dog, and very well behaved. Munchkin, take note.

Today's schlep:

1 piece of Styrofoam packaging

+ 4 plastic caps

+ 1 plastic Barg's bottle

+ 4 unidentified pieces of hard plastic

+ 3 unidentified black plastic circular things

+ 2 unidentified white plastic circular things

+ 3 plastic ties

+ 4 plastic straws

+ 1 plastic lollipop stick

+ 1 plastic permanent marker (doesn't mark anymore)

+ 2 plastic bags

+ 2 plastic forks + 1 piece of another plastic utensil

+ 1 plasticy Billabong beach-umbrella cover

And 1 mini Coca-Cola bottle, which I will be returning for deposit:
+ 5 cents to me.

Saved today from the Great Atlantic Garbage Patch: 30 pieces of plastic.

Total saved: 189

In case you were wondering ...

Cork is compostable.