These paintings are meant to promote thoughts of consumerism and consumerism’s relationship to the ecosystem. In painting these objects I also inevitably portray the potential beauty that can be found even in things often regarded to be without value, such as used and disposed of objects. Hyperrealistic paintings require an obsessive attention to detail, and in giving this attention to an object rendered in this style, the objects will arguably be beautified in a way that suggests value. Consumerism corrupts human perception of value.

Humans have created materials, such as plastic, that allow us to have a convenient and comfortable life. Modern society is relying heavily on these materials and there are consequences to this reliance. However, people are blinded by their desire for convenience. Annually the consumption of these materials has increased. Trash is not an object that people have second thoughts about, or look carefully at. As I paint hyperrealistic paintings of trash I allow viewers to look more carefully at the objects. Hyperrealistic paintings require large amounts of time to render, and the great care and detail put into this work conflicts with the notion of the object’s disposability and lack of value.