Today Ill discuss gathering junk, used, found, materials and objects to create "media" for my artwork. One of the things I have an advantage of is being in flavorful contact with some of the oldest junky stuff in America. Connecticut is THE junk capital as far as Im concerned because Connecticut folks throw stuff away in abundance. Twice a year there is what we call "curbside clean-up" or "town cleanup" weeks where each constituent in a town in its own secession clean up their properties, garages, houses, whatever and place it on the curbside. Then the town garbage collection, if there is one, will drive by and pitch fork it up into a huge truck and carry it to be burned, recycled etc... However, myself, along with about 50 or more other junk collectors drive around to all the different towns, through their streets like vandals on free Christmas Day, picking through this crap and shoving as much into our vehicles as possible. People intentionally put good, undamaged stuff they dont want out too because they know we will all come.
It is funny because all the people who sell at the flea markets will come back with the stuff they picked up on the side of the road. Lots and lots of recycling going on here. Anyhow, the rule of thumb for me is; get it home, get it out and Bleach it all fast!! Never know who had scabies, fleas,
diseases, virus, who knows. I always wear gloves, and I look at junk carefully. Usually never touching anything cloth or furnature with cloth cushions on it. I also dont go through bags. People will add that wad of shit on tolet paper in those sometimes.
The next thing is commercial property dumpster diving. This is tricky because you have to either get permission or take it upon yourself to actually "steal" through their dumpster . Most business owners dont want you on their property, espically in their dumpster because of liability and insurance purposes. This is only common sense to them, and to us it makes NO sense, espically if that one item youve been looking for to finish the grand Sculpture of Picasso is in there. That is when I come back at night if I can get in with plyers and a flash light and of course a cell phone so when the cops are called or if I get stuck inside the dumpster I can call for help. Sounds lunitic , and it totally is for a 50 year old woman artist. But Im crazy anyhow, so Im excused, right? WRONG! It is totally illegal, stupid and obsurd, at least to all the "in-the-boxers". \
The rest of the finds are a given; flea markets, tag sales, and goodwill stores, but their is one venue I find lots of good stuff is the "Estate Sale". Old dead grandma's or grandpa's things that no family member wants, or because Connecticut dead law taxes out bill the funeral expenses.
Some family members themselves do the sales and wind up giving it all away because they cannot stand to see people rummaging through all their special grandma's favorite dishwares, clothing, drawers of goodies. And then some just give it all away because they realize after all this time and effort they realize THEY will be stuck with all the junk after all, and no money is to be made. Families in Connecticut are not like the ones in the south where most families down there seem to take better care of what they have been graciously inherrited.
Happy junking folks.
sincerely
Karen
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