What is that man doing in the tree well?
When I first arrived in Manhattan I was amazed at the average streetscape. There were buildings, sidewalks and streets. Almost everything was paved. My foraging instincts set my gaze on the only earth I could find - tree wells. I noticed each tree well was in essence a minute trash receptacle where litter congregated. As I pondered the refuse I started to think about what people throw away and how it reflects who they are.
I began noticing the people who throw garbage in the street. They don’t do so maliciously. It seems they have a mindset that the object they throw down ceases to exist once it leaves their hand. We all have an acceptable “litter tolerance level”. For some it may be a losing lottery ticket or a candy wrapper, for others a piece of lint. What can you throw on the ground guilt free?
This is how my project for 14th Street arose. I have a feeling that by displaying the daily litter found in the tree wells we will get a glimpse of what New Yorkers are doing during their pedestrian activity. Most importantly, will the refuse from tree wells located in diverse socioeconomic areas reflect those differences in some way? Everyday pieces of trash suddenly become valuable and interesting artifacts from which inferences about their source can be drawn.
Litter will be gathered from tree wells in diverse areas along 14th Street in Manhattan. It will be cleaned, documented and placed in scientific display boxes. These boxes will be affixed to their corresponding parkway trees, mounted for viewing. In this way the litter will be returned back to its tree well of origin, becoming an archeological record of the immediate past. Shown in this manner, the daily refuse begins to take on anthropological, sociological, and aesthetic implications. Each box is a vessel which promotes curiosity and contemplation. My hope is passers-by will stop and take note, becoming more aware of their daily surroundings and habits.
Michael Knierim
