I have started an online photo campaign to draw attention to the trash that is constantly under our feet. It is commonly overlooked and most people are conditioned to simply step around it. I have photographed the trash on my route beside a blue origami lotus flower which is the symbol for the movement as well as carrying a great deal of meaning for the project.
The flowers represent cleansing and purification that goes along with the ritual of removing unwanted garbage from nature. I have used blue to draw attention to the Japanese association of blue with everyday life and relatively mundane/routine occurrences.
I chose to use origami to accentuate these Japanese connections. At one point in Japanese history, origami was an almost sacred art due to the rarity and cost of paper so I feel that it adds a sense of tradition and sanctity to my project. I used the lotus form because “the lotus flower is revered in Japan for its ability to rise from the dirty, murky waters to bloom into a beautiful, pure flower,” which I thought drew a fantastic parallel to my earlier decisions for colour and style. I tried to incorporate these elements into my images in a manner which is understandable and visually powerful.
I chose to focus on Japanese culture for this project because the country is widely considered to be the most pristine and well kept part of the world and I would like to inspire some people on this continent to follow their lead and take responsibility for the cleanliness of their country/city/street. I have received some feedback in person (while collecting litter) and online (photos posted of me picking up garbage) and the general consensus is that it is a noble endeavour to undertake. I have received some odd looks after my explanation was given but I believe that as long as I’m getting the idea out there, people can think whatever they chose but as long as they are aware, it will give life to the project.
I have dubbed this the UNlitter Movement because I am trying to encourage people to clean up a little bit at a time because there have been campaigns running for years trying to get people to stop littering and it clearly hasn’t worked at all. Instead of stop littering I am saying clean some up because I feel that it would be more a more effective way to draw attention to the problem and gain support. While I still hope that at some point littering will end, the best way to tackle the issue right now is to get people to publicly take some action and show that they care for their environment.
My “UNlitter Movement” is less about dramatic protest and more about inspiring a small group of people to do their part who will in turn inspire more. I am hoping that it will inspire people to look a little closer at their surroundings throughout their daily routines and possibly encouraging them to do their share and pick up smaller pieces of litter when they can.
