Erica Barfoot Photo Essay: "Litter"

[Metro Jacksonville]

Erica Barfoot Photo Essay: "Litter"



MetroJacksonville.com is working with Ana Kamiar, MFA, of the Art Institute of Jacksonville to create a series of student created photo essays that highlight the people, environment, culture and thoughts of the metro Jacksonville region. This is their response. Images by Sharon Bensing.


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-erica-barfoot-photo-essay-litter

[Kay]

I passionately detest litter.

[obie1]

pet peeve is  smokers who throw their filthy butts everywhere but would never think of themselves as littering because they are such environmentalists 

[Tamara-B]

I think sometimes many viewers, including myself, focus on simply what the illustration looks like versus what it represents. Photographs of cigarette butts and garbage on the floor arouses disgust. However, if we look at it from an artist point of view we may see something different.

A close-up shot of a used cigarette may represent the trials and tribulations of attempting to give up smoking or someone who died of lung cancer just when they finally decided to quit.

A crumbled up newspaper on the ground could represent the fading popularity of print media.

Jock Sturges, the infamous photographer who takes nude photos of adults and children, has been called everything from a pervert to a pedophile. He has been up against tremendous controversy for years, but his work still gets published. Pictures of nude children may enrage viewers, especially parents, but Sturges defends it as beauty and art.

[sheclown]

It shows what is.  There is trash.  It blends in with the other elements, asphalt, twigs, bricks.  It is what is left over when we are done with it.

[WmNussbaum]

This is a timely presentation of another of the problems of our fair city, but the photographs do not do justice to the size of the problem. Here are some definitions from the Municipal Code:

Litter. The term "litter" shall mean "litter" as defined in the Florida Litter Law at F.S. § 403.413(2)(a), that is located on public property, and shall include any artificial or manmade object illegally placed within a public right-of-way or illegally nailed, fastened or affixed to any tree, public utility pole, or other object located on public property or within a public right-of-way. The term "litter" shall include "snipe sign" as defined herein.

Snipe sign. The term "snipe sign" shall mean a sign which is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued, or otherwise attached or affixed to a tree on public property, to a public utility pole, to a public utility box, to publicly-owned street furniture such as a bench or shelter, to a public fence, or to any other object on public property or within the public right of way, except with the express permission or consent of the public property owner.

So, litter would include all those garish newspaper racks place all over sidewalks - a personal pet peeve of mine. The Muni Code allows anyone to remove litter if it can be done safely and without an altercation. So feel free to pick up all those snipe signs you see. I haven't decided if I want to begin removing newspaper racks for a couple of reasons. One, they do have value and I can imagine getting unpleasant responses from the owners of the racks who would consider removal a variety of conversion or illegal destruction of personal property. Two, what would I do with them?

By "newspaper" I have special reference to the boxes that have nothing in them but free pamphlets telling you what homes are for sale, apartments for rent, cars for sale, and so on. I would love the City to impose a fee for their placement and govern placement strictly. There are, however, some constitutional issues here - commercial freedom of speech being the main one.

If visual pollution is a concern for anyone, I commend to you a local organization called Beautiful City Jax which has a website and which may be joined and supported with a minimum of financial commitment. Its focus extend far beyond snipe signs and newspaper racks. Google the website - go there - join.

[simms3]

I'd love to see a shot of what's left over an entertainment district when club promoters get done plowing through the area.  Nothing like returning to your car to see 5 flyers in the wipers and hundreds lying all over the ground.

How about litter in the river?  That's certainly not too hard to find.

Any city trash cans that are overflowing and not maintained?

How about homeless camps?

A little cigarette butt or piece of paper here and there just doesn't phase me emotionally, but I am vehemently against litter in all forms.

You know what else is litter?  Lawn crews that blow cuttings and leaves into the street, and then subsequently into the storm drains...which are not built to handle solid materials.

How about pesticide runoff into the river?  Taking a picture of green algae on a body of water near a mansion or golf course could be a different take on litter, and a political statement in a place like Jacksonville.

How about the parking lot around a stadium after a game or the streets after a major public event?

[Tamara-B]

It shows what is.  There is trash.  It blends in with the other elements, asphalt, twigs, bricks.  It is what is left over when we are done with it.

That's one way of putting it