#GETTINGDUMPED

After the community response around the @oaklandnewports project, I began developing an interest in mapping more than just empty packs of cigarettes. As I went about my life in the Bay Area, the frequency of these garbage piles became undeniable.

Illegal dumping was an on-going problem for the area and I became anthropologically fascinated by what kinds of garbage were being dumped in certain neighborhoods. The area around my home was prone to mattress disposals, while other neighborhoods near by were addled with deserted cars or the remnants of an illegal grow-op

This map includes all of the trash heaps documented in Oakland thus far. Often I would cross paths with these piles many times before deciding to photograph them. The staying power of these unwanted objects on sidewalks, alleys, and gutters was impressive.

Other folks have started using the hashtag as well, you can see the full participation here.

navigable map of #gettingdumpedinOakland

After I moved to Los Angeles in 2016, I continued to build this map of trash. But due to the size and culture of LA, I find myself walking less and having to travel further distnaces. The piles are less frequent here, less colorful, and tell a very different kind of story.

In fall of 2018, I moved into a studio in the downtown area and have been orbiting that are of town on foot more frequently since then, but the level of care that the city of Los Angeles goes through to keep that area debris-free for sanitation concerns is far more rigorous than it was in Oakland. Loose garbage does not have the same staying power in Los Angeles, and I'm still exploring why.

For an up-to-date view of participation around #gettingdumpedinLA, check out the instagram progress here.

navigable map of #gettingdumpedinLA

GETTING DUMPED

#GETTINGDUMPED