Sublime

In Pasadena, California, photographer Gregg Segal embarked on a project capturing individuals from diverse backgrounds and ages within his garden. Utilizing three distinct settings - water, beach, and forest - Segal juxtaposed each subject amidst a week’s accumulation of their waste. Participants were tasked with gathering and preserving all their refuse, including recyclable materials, for the duration of a week. Through this unique approach, Segal’s project not only highlights the intimate connection between individuals and their waste but also prompts reflection on consumption habits and environmental impact in a localized context. “The idea was to make the problem of consumption and waste difficult to ignore by personalizing it. I just started with friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else I could convince to save their garbage for one week. They would lie down in it and be photographed so you can see their garbage really clearly. We’ve become so immune to the products we consume that it felt like something that I needed to do. And I photograph my own family as well, because I didn’t want to come off as if I am pointing my finger at everyone else. I think of the consumer as both victim and perpetrator; we are victims of the whole system in a way that we are also contributing to that very same problem.” - Gregg Segal #greggsegal #waste #overconsumption