American Video Productions

From Trash to Treasure – Art In Dallas

According to The Environmental Protection Agency, Americans dispose of more than 200 million tons of garbage every day. Every day!

Of course I’m not here to preach about recycling and the national trash dilemma. But rather, I would like to share with you a video I recently produced about a friend in Dallas, TX who has the ability to see trash as art. And I’m not talking about the stinky slime you throw against the wall to see what sticks – and refer to it as art (although I also realize that beauty is in the eye of the artist). I speak instead of wood, plastic, metal and dead plants that can be gathered together to form eye-pleasing works of beautiful – abstract – art (sculpture).

As a professional videographer/photographer I’m often paid to capture special moments and gatherings, create marketing videos and document real-life situations. Many of these situations and gatherings are staged and include several months of planning. Some of these assignments are interesting, educational, emotional and entertaining. And they pay the bills (usually).

But as a digital artist who actually “enjoy” his work, I often have the unique opportunity to videotape people, places and things – with only a moment’s notice – just for the fun of it. This is just one case.

My Dallas friend has been blessed with an eye that can see art and treasure in trash. And while I am in no manner a professional art critic – I can certainly appreciate the beauty of an artist’s hands at work – even in the middle of a pile of common rubble.

Eric has the ability to take old chairs, plastic cups, washer and dryer parts, old headboards, table parts and even dead plants and create art that is worthy of public display – even at the DFW airport.

And on one recent Sunday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet this master of trash (he and his family are personal friends of my son). My wife and I were invited over for Sunday lunch. After entering the modest, but well-decorated home, you can’t help but notice the magnificent works of art that hang from the walls, compliment the fireplace and adorn the various corners of this home-turned-museum. My first thought was that this young family spent all of their fortune on fine works of art-sculpture. But to my amazement I soon discovered that I was breaking bread with a modern-day Picasso, Monet or Michelangelo.

Of course the next reaction (naturally for me) is to run to my car, grab my trusty video camera and push “record.” It’s moments like this that money can’t buy. If I was officially hired and paid to create a short video documentary about these various works of art, I would have brought in a professional lighting and sound crew with all the television-production accessories, etc. But capturing it this way – at the spur of the moment – when I’m feeling like a kid in a toy store or a tourist gazing in amazement at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – it brought much more satisfaction than any paycheck or major video contract ever could.

It was fun. I enjoyed it. And once again, I was reminded of why I do video and photography (for over 27 years) – I enjoy it. I started on this quest in 1982 – not to make a bundle of money or to become famous – but because its fun and I enjoy sharing the beauty and wonder of friends, events, nature and those special moments in time – with the rest of the world. Enjoy!

For more information about his art you may contact Eric at: ericgar@tx.rr.com.

Bruce Blackwell, author, is the owner and founder of American Video Productions. (c) 2009

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