Discard Piles

is a series of paintings depicting piles of bulky trash set out on curbs by Austin, TX residents for disposal. Each painting is a memorial to the fundamentally human process of purging.

Discard Pile 80, 2023 acrylic on canvas, 25" x 20"

Discard Pile 80, 2023
acrylic on canvas, 25" x 20"

Discard Pile 79, 2023 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 79, 2023
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 78, 2022 acrylic on canvas, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 78, 2022
acrylic on canvas, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 77, 2022 acrylic on canvas, 45" x 36"

Discard Pile 77, 2022
acrylic on canvas, 45" x 36"

Discard Pile 76, 2021 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 76, 2021
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 75, 2021 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 75, 2021
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile (After Scott), 2021 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile (After Scott), 2021
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile (After Valérie), 2021 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile (After Valérie), 2021
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 74, 2020 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 74, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 73, 2020 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 73, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 72, 2020 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 72, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 71, 2020 acrylic on canvas, 25" x 20"

Discard Pile 71, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 25" x 20"

Discard Pile 70, 2020 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 70, 2020
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 69, 2019 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 69, 2019
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 68, 2019 acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 68, 2019
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 67, 2019 acrylic on aquabord, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 67, 2019
acrylic on aquabord, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 64, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 64, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 20" x 16"

Discard Pile 63, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 63, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 62, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 62, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 61, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 61, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 60, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 60, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 59, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 59, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 58, 2018 acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 58, 2018
acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 57, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 57, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 56, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 56, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 55, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 55, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 54, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 54, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 53, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 53, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 52, 2017 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 52, 2017
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 51, 2016 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 51, 2016
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 50, 2016 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 50, 2016
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 49, 2016 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 49, 2016
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 48, 2016 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 48, 2016
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 47, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 47, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 46, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 46, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 45, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 45, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 44, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 44, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 43, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 43, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 42, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 42, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 41, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 41, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 40, 2015 acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 40, 2015
acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 39, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 39, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 38, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 38, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 37, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 37, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 36, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 36, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 35, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 35, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 34, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 34, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 33, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 33, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 32, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 32, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 31, 2014 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 31, 2014
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 30, 2014 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 30, 2014
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 29, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 29, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 28, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 28, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 27, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 27, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 26, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 26, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 25, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 25, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 24, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 24, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 23, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 23, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 22, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 20" x 20"

Discard Pile 22, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 20" x 20"

Discard Pile 21, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 21, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 20, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 20, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 24" x 18"

Discard Pile 19, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 19, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 18, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 18, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 17, 2013 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 17, 2013
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 16, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 16, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 15, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 15, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 7" x 5"

Discard Pile 14, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 14, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 13, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 13, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 12, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 12, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 11, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 11, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 10, 2013 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 10, 2013
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 9, 2013 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 9, 2013
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 8, 2012 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 8, 2012
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 7, 2012 acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 7, 2012
acrylic on aquabord, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 6, 2012 acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 6, 2012
acrylic on watercolor board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 5, 2012 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 5, 2012
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 4, 2012 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 4, 2012
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 3, 2012 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 3, 2012
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 2, 2012 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 2, 2012
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 1, 2012 acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

Discard Pile 1, 2012
acrylic on illustration board, 10" x 8"

These found assemblages only exist for one day; set out on Sundays, and hauled away on Mondays. My Sundays are spent driving through unfamiliar neighborhoods, photographing once private possessions, now publicly disowned. From those photographs, I studiously paint individual piles isolated against white backgrounds. Each pile is a unique glob of colors, shapes, and textures; organized or disorganized based on the mysterious whims of their former owner. When viewed as a series, the piles present anthropological findings. Patterns emerge, with certain objects undeniably common: cheap plastic toddler toys, rotting lumber, leaky garden hoses, mattresses, soiled textiles, and unsalvageable furniture. Other outdoor disposable objects are noticeably absent: appliances, grills, lawn mowers; anything with a motor or made of metal. I see those absent objects stacked high, skating past on rattling trailers in tow behind bruised trucks.

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Abandoned Buildings