My recent series, “Buy Nothing” is a series of self-portraits taken with items I have received from my local Buy Nothing group. A “Buy Nothing” group is a local community Facebook group where neighbors give away, borrow and request goods or services at no cost. Through photographing myself with the items I have received, I hope to uncover the beauty and fun in the discarded remnants of my neighbors’ lives, and shine a light on the potential these seemingly mundane objects have to be seen in new, unexpected ways. 

Often featuring everyday objects such as clothing, plants and kitchen items, I am inviting a viewer to reflect on the overlooked beauty in daily life. While shooting these self-portraits, I use my body, light and perspective to help reimagine the items so that they transcend their mundane origins and are transformed into props in artistic, abstract tableaus. By breathing new life into these banal objects I am engaging in a playful dialogue with not only the items, but with my neighbors and local community. In bringing a sense of fun, depth and complexity to the images, I am giving the objects an opportunity to live on in a way that was never intended for them, while fostering an appreciation for “one man’s trash” just as the Buy Nothing initiative does.

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