How to Recycle Ourselves through Art: Rubbish Inspirations in Contemporary Art

Abstract

This article will focus on the work of two contemporary artists; of Vik Muniz and Jeff Wall, to discuss the change of material and inspiration in contemporary art and the effects of this change. Both of those two artists take rubbish, human waste, masses of debris which have been thought to be the end-products, useless residue of human actions and civilization, and then they transform those so-called dead materials into original artistic products. In a way, they use those dead materials for an artistic rebirth. Through Muniz’s re-makings of famous art works through junk materials, or by way of Wall’s completely new interpretations of the already existing and useless trash provide both literary and symbolic recycle for the contemporary society.

Keywords

• Vik Muniz, Jeff Wall, trash, recycle, new materialism, contemporary art