Junk, Scrap or Surplus - as found

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About Junk, Scrap or Surplus - as found

This is sort of a cross between the "Anything Old" group and the "Pretty Pictures of Ugly Things" group. The idea is to find beauty in and make art from/of objects that have been used but are now relegated to those out-of-the-way corners of our world devoted to waste, recycling, re-sale and re-use, or just plain "not worth carting away."

We do our hunting in junk yards and scrap heaps, the back lots of old auto body shops, alleys, old manufacturing sites, abandoned commercial buildings, flea markets, and even the obscure corners of closets in our own abodes. Dirt, dust, grime and rust are our main hues and tones.

Our subjects can be as large as a house but should consist of things that could realistically be moved if anyone wanted to go to the trouble. They can be as small as a pile of old wristwatch parts, or even smaller. We might very well supply some artificial light or modify ambient light but we don't create entire scenes, large or small. I like to collect bits and pieces of things and then construct a "still life", but that's not for this group. We want stuff as you find it. (Okay... a tiny bit of rearranging is acceptable as artistic license, but nothing obvious.)

"Surplus" is a tricky category because there are "Surplus Stores" that sell new items right alongside pre-used items. Try to stay away from the shiny stuff. "Antiques" are another tricky category. Some of the things we find may be fairly valuable, but if we must shoot something in an antique shop, at least let's stay away from the high-end places. Our objects should be orphans, not cover girls.

Most important: art. We are not trying to document a sector of the economy - we're trying to make artistic images from very unlikely sources. Digital manipulation to your heart's content is acceptable. Simple photos of piles of garbage or general scenes of junkyards may be important journalism or interesting documents, but few are art. I will remove from the pool any photos I feel don't qualify as artistic. Please don't ask me what that means.

You may join and post at will but please no more than a handful at a time. Photos only. (I've posted a dozen of my own to get us started and provide some limited clues about the sorts of photos I hope to attract.) Thank-you. Get dirty - have fun!