Proposal #1 Industry and the Landscape, a Personal Responsibility

• Concept
o The main objective of this project is to look at the recycling/waste situation in Tucson. To gain an idea of the amount of recyclable waste generated in a city of this size. The basic idea is to be confronted with an overwhelming amount of waste on a local level and connect it back to personal responsibility and the contribution of a single person.
o Problems or questions to be examined include the disconnection between citizen, personal responsibility and awareness of the volume of waste at a local level. The cost of recycling is also of interest as well as the environmental effects of the different processes of recycling its self.
o A goal of this project is to connect the viewer on an emotional level to the environmental issues of waste management. To make the viewer understand that they have helped to contribute and can change towards more positive behavior concerning waste and recycling. To understand that we are closer to this problem than we care to notice. To resonate a sense of responsibility and empowerment.
o Using light as a secondary subject, I will pay special attention to time of day and quality of light in order to capture attention and force a captive audience to consider the subject at hand. To offer a contradiction between an interesting image and a serious problem. The idea is that the play on light can provide a universal feeling of memory and experience. By creating an atmospheric presence in the images, a viewer can relate to the sensory experience and be subconsciously connected to the issue.

• Logistics
o This project will be shot at recycling and waste centers in Tucson and the surrounding areas. The images will illustrate the waste materials themselves as well as action shots of the waste being processed.
o Stills as well as ambient noise will be collected for a final presentation to be a combination of prints and a slide show with audio. I would like to incorporate text in the form of basic facts. These facts would counter balance the “progress” made by recycling and would explain the amount of potential recycling that is not going to the proper centers for processing- instead ending up in landfills (counter productive).
o This project relies on access to at least one waste management facility. In order to gain a larger scope of awareness and material - access to several sites would be ideal. If access was denied another approach to the problem could be constructed. For example tracking waste from the home to the streets to a waste management facility- photographing from a voyeuristic perspective- watching and tracking. Another approach would be to find individuals who live “off the grid” or who take personal responsibility to the next level in terms of daily living. This is a big trend in Arizona and could possibly influence others to elevate their daily waste management practices and consumption. If another direction is necessary all following plans for resources and time management would need to be reconsidered (with special focus on shooting time and scheduling).

• Resources and Time Management
o Budget and time management for this project include travel costs, the cost of exhibition prints, and time needed for multimedia editing. A special focus on multimedia presentation of this project is key as this project is intended to spread awareness and be consumed in a contemporary manner of mass consumption. Presenting this project in a multimedia format connects the idea of consumption, waste, modern culture, technology, universal access and the aspect of time. Time for shooting has been scheduled to allow weekly or bi weekly site visits and material collection. Shooting is only dependent on the available hours of the facility as no interviews are necessary for the main concept. Editing will be done during studio hours during class time as well as off hours at the Zone. Audio editing will be focused on creating a simple “soundscape” for the background- simply to introduce a sensory experience for the viewer. All necessary camera and editing equipment needed for the project is available through the University. Specifically an audio recorder is needed. All other materials are easily accessible to the artist (camera, editing software, print studio).
• Funds have not been secured for final exhibition prints over 11x14 in size. Also funds have not been secured for final presentation of prints (framing or mounting). Presentation should be minimal and clean to connect the project with the overall idea of waste management and living with less material. Prints sandwiched between conservation mat board and plexiglass, secured with brackets is one option. A second option is to use recycled or salvaged glass in place of brand new plexi. This option would have uncontrollable elements and variations in the quality of material. It could lend itself to the idea of re-manufactured objects. A third option is to mount on gatorfoam with no front protection. This last option is clean and has minimal materials. It connects the fragility of the print to that of the overall issue the project addresses. Costs can vary depending on final output size of prints (with a preference to larger prints for increased viewing impact).
• ½ gatorfoam mounting with no front protection:
o 11x14 $15 ea x 20 prints = $300
o 16x20 $20 ea x 20 prints = $400
o 20x24 $25 ea x 20 prints = $500
• Ideally the project would be exhibited as in installation. Including 5-6 large prints (20x24) and the multimedia presentation shown in tandem. Details of this portion have not been resolved.
o An estimated timeline for the project includes:
• A) Research and networking September 20 to November 1st. Call and visit 4-8 facilities, obtain necessary access to sites, provide explanation of project and possible implications/benefits in order to gain corporation of facilities.
• B) Shooting and material collection starting October 1 thru November 15 (six weeks). Shooting is scheduled to allow bi weekly site visits to location(s) including times in the morning, late afternoon and midday. Special attention to time of day and quality of light will determine hierarchy of site visits. Most shooting will be on Tuesdays/Thursdays and Fridays due to alignment in scheduling between artist and facilities (Monday-Friday).
• C) Editing will be done throughout the entire process with a main focus on final image selection, printing, audio editing and multimedia creation November 15 thru December 1st.

• Relevance
o Work by Danwen Xing and Edward Burtynsky have influenced this project as well as efforts of local agencies in Tucson. I look at the work made by Xing and Burtynsky and connect the ideas of “attraction and repulsion” of the images- how beautiful they are out of context (a formal analysis) and become instantly dark when placed into the idea as a whole (connected to the artists concept of the human impact and the overwhelming experience waste produces). I would like to take this concept and deliver it to a local audience- not meaning just Tucson, rather aimed at the ‘everyday’ person. Taking it out of a Fine Art realm and into an everyday context as a means of communication. The aim is not to dismiss the project from the art world, but to bridge the gap of understanding between artists, scholars and the general public - to somehow create an emotional connection that will make people think on a local- personal level and influence their everyday decision-making.