curiosity and cultural awareness in the poorest, most underprivileged people. “Waste Land” follows an artist Vik Muniz as he works on his art project in Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho in Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs catadors or garbage pickers as they pick recyclable materials from the garbage. And upon meeting the characters at the landfill, Vik decides to turn the project into collaboration with the catadors. In the end, this collaboration reveals both
deeds in another part of the world. In instances where the helper is not part of a relief organization, such as the Red Cross, their help can either be viewed as an intrusion or as being beneficial. In the film Wasteland, directed by Lucy Walker, Vik Muniz goes into Jardim Gramacho with the sole intention of photographing the catadores and using the images as his muse, but by the end of the film, it is easy to see that Muniz’s presence changed the catadores in ways no one could have imagined. The
From watching this film, I have a broader understanding of the different ways that art can transform regular materials and people. In the film, Vik Muniz, who is a photographer, came back to his home country, to begin a project, involving the biggest landfill in the world. This project involved in the use of recycling materials from the landfill, with the help from the native pickers. This film showcase the picker undergoing a process of transformation, in which they go through a deep process of
Located just outside Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, Brazil, is the world’s largest garbage landfill. Waste Land is an academy award winning documentary about a modern artist, Vik Muniz, who journeys from his home base in Brooklyn, New York, to his native Brazil, where he visits the landfill. There he photographs four catadores-pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to paint portraits of the catadores using garbage, auction off the portraits, and give the money to the catadores
Filmed for nearly three years, Waste Land follows famed artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest landfill, Jardim Gramacho, situated on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eccentric band of catadores, otherwise known as garbage pickers. The catadores are a definitive marginalized populace; jobless in any conventional sense, they turn to picking profitable recyclable materials from the junk discarded by those in Brazil
has evolved over the years and it encourages us to express ourselves individually. In the movie, Wasteland, by Vik Muniz, is about an artist who captured the lives of Rio de Janeiro. Psychiatric Tales, graphic novel, by Darryl Cunningham, is eleven stories about mental illness. Both of the authors disclose and engage the audience through their personal experience and interests. Vik, Muniz, who travels to Rio de Janeiro (the biggest landfill) to create art and give its profit back to the community
Often times, art is used as a way to convey a change. Many artists used their own style to portray a message, usually social change. A New York artist named Vik Muniz uses his skills to show the struggles of garbage pickers, or catadores, in Brazil. Similarly, a student at the University of Texas, named Lakeem Wilson, uses art to create social change. Pawel Kuczynski uses his satirical paintings to highlight the world’s social issues. Each type of artwork has its limitations whether it is the lack
In the shortstop film "Wasteland (2010)", Vik Muniz figuratively describes his adventure to Rio de Janiero as Christ-like model to redeem the catadores. Catadores are garbage pickers that live in a waste land called Jardim Gramacho. Vik Muniz trip to Jardim Gramacho was to intentionally help and redeem the catadores from their ventures. Throughout the film, Vik Muniz uses a point of view of the Christ the redeemer statue to show the audience and the other characters that being behind him will grant
perspective on a given situation. In Waste Land, Vik Muniz embraced the opportunity to travel to Jardim Gramacho in Brazil in hopes of making a difference with the pickers by incorporating the pickers as assistants for the art projects. While at the landfill in Rio de Janeiro, he experiences the life of the pickers which helps him to create the art that will transform the lives of the workers; these experiences allow Muniz to develop as a person (Walker). Vik Muniz’s perspective regarding the landfill
Vik Muniz was born into a working-class family in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1961. As a young man he was shot in the leg whilst trying to break up a fight. He received compensation for his injuries and used this money to fund a trip to New York City, where he has lived and worked since the late 1980s. He began his career as a sculptor, but gradually became more interested in photographic reproductions of his work, eventually turning his attention exclusively to photography. He incorporates a multiplicity
Walker’s “Waste Land,” the garbage of Rio de Janeiro is transformed into fine art as Brazilian artist, Vik Muniz, seeks to humanize the marginalized catadores of Brazilian society. The film focuses on the people Muniz encounters and ultimately photographs for his collection of portraits, entitled “Pictures of Garbage.” The documentary follows the life of the catadores as they collaborate with Muniz on stunning pieces of modern art made from
played in the maintaining healthy environment for sea animals and for people of Brazil. Vik Muniz’s self-portrait project can be seen as part of community based art, bringing direct change in to people’s life, and raising awareness to the two most important issue of the time: poverty and recycling materials. In our society, we give certain degree of respect and value to person according to his or her occupation. Muniz help them get respect from the people through his project. When self-portraits were
poverty, power, environment, even social context. For example, “Waste Land” is one of art pieces that invaded the lives of Brazilian garbage pickers. Vik Muniz completed Waste Land in 2010. He used textures that express the concept of reality. His painting skills created a work so precise that people could see the meaning behind the image very clearly. Vik Muniz was born into a working-class family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was both artist and photographer. He is a successful artist in America. He is an
relieve congestion on the Lexington Ave line in Manhattan. A resident who lives by 99th Street and 2nd Ave said the opening of the 96th Street station was “the best Christmas gift I ever received.” The 72nd Street subway station features artwork by Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist, called “Perfect Strangers,” a series of life-size portraits who appear to be waiting for the train. The portraits are based off staged
the world's best carnaval, and more than 200 samba schools take part of the festivity and an estimated amount of 2 million, people walk the streets and celebrate it. It is even a national holiday in Brazil. Vik Muniz is a famous Brazilian artist and photographer. As a photographer, Muniz is known to recreate famous art and pop art with everyday objects through imagery to create something new. One of his most major works is called The Wasteland Project, which is a documentary film
people never give up on their life; but keep trying to put all effort for a better living in future. But trash is not useless, but that is something people need to reduce and organize. Trash affect a lot to the life of everyone through art such as Vik Muniz did; he gave the opportunity and instruction to that people at the landfill to help them create pictures by trash and affect their lives. Thus, art is much powerful than people think; it has the power to transform the life of people, a community
subjective nature of truth and reality. In this respect, Heartney claims Vija Celmins and Chuck Close both dealt with precision, and extrusion in commenting upon the eye and mind working together to construct individual realties. Other artists like Vik Muniz and Malcolm Morley combined painting and the photographic images in
Towards the end of the eye opening film, Suelem is filmed pregnant with her third child juxtaposed to the picture she made with Vik Muniz and the other pickers (1:26:54-1:27:05). This picture represents a new mentality for Suelem and her children. This new mental understanding was one that included a better future and a way of living for the mother and children. This frame makes a