"Thus, increasing use of plastics during the lockdown and stay-at-home measures serve as a  conduit  for  contamination  between  pathogens  of  animal  and  human  origin – which increase the spread of diseases ... There are reports of over [a] million synthetic face masks and gloves disposed [of] on sidewalks already polluting cities." (Sarkodie et al. 2021, p. 7954)

Welcome to the adventures of a night-time garbage hunter that takes you on a journey to see various types of garbage in urban green spaces around Melbourne. I have used the darkness of night to create a mystery in my photography and illuminate my subjects by using light painting techniques. My primary purpose for creating this work is to explore the problem of global waste pollution which seems to increase every year. From my personal experience, I have found little fish trapped in a plastic bag while I was scuba diving. This was a stark example of how the waste pollution problem not only affects our environment but how it can cause injury or death to animals. Finally, I hope this adventure will raise viewers' awareness that as humans we often leave garbage, either purposefully or inadvertently, hidden in many natural settings. These pieces of garbage can be considered as traces of human presence and make a statement about human behaviour and values. My hope is that people who view this set of photos will consider reducing their output of disposable waste, especially single use plastics and other packaging, or at the very least dispose of it properly – so we can build a sustainable future.

Plastic Bag, 2021  

inkjet print  

2200 x 3000 mm

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Sheet Foam, 2021  

inkjet print  

2200 3000 mm

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Plastic Bag, 2021    

inkjet print  

2200 x 3000 mm

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Silver Cloth Tape, 2021  

inkjet print  

2200 x 3000 mm

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Yellow Tape, 2021    

inkjet print  

2200 x 3000 mm

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Spray, 2021  

inkjet print  

2200 x 3000 mm

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