Archival Giclée Pigment Print on Archival Paper
Limited Edition of 5
40 x 60 in
102 x 152 cm
US $ 4,200
In this photograph from the Airs, Waters, Places series, John Stathatos presents a sprawling expanse of rusting tin cans, shattered glass, and discarded plastic scattered across a barren landscape. The mass of refuse stretches beyond the frame, creating a relentless sea of decay that speaks to the relentless accumulation of consumer waste. The vibrant reds, browns, and metallic hues create an oddly captivating palette, though the scene itself remains jarring—a modern-day nature morte that subverts any romanticized view of the landscape.
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In this photograph from the Airs, Waters, Places series, John Stathatos presents a sprawling expanse of rusting tin cans, shattered glass, and discarded plastic scattered across a barren landscape. The mass of refuse stretches beyond the frame, creating a relentless sea of decay that speaks to the relentless accumulation of consumer waste. The vibrant reds, browns, and metallic hues create an oddly captivating palette, though the scene itself remains jarring—a modern-day nature morte that subverts any romanticized view of the landscape.
Stathatos draws on Lucius Burckhardt’s notion that landscapes are cultural constructs, here transforming the traditional idea of landscape into a vision of environmental devastation. By photographing this site under natural light, he captures a strange beauty within the chaos, though any allure is tempered by a critical edge. The waste mound mocks the picturesque ideals of classical landscapes, standing instead as a monument to excess and ecological neglect, where remnants of modern life decay in a grotesque parody of nature.
The work echoes Edward Burtynsky’s epic documentation of industrial waste but diverges by emphasizing not the scale of industry but the sheer density of consumer refuse—a commentary on how individual acts of consumption contribute to a vast and toxic whole. By presenting this scene with stark realism, Stathatos confronts viewers with a poignant question about the legacy of our consumer habits, invoking a sense of elegy for the natural world overtaken by human intervention. This image challenges us to reconsider the landscapes we inhabit and the silent toll of our daily choices on the environment.