I came across the work of Tom Deininger while researching eco-art. He was part of a group show and his work really stood out. He creates his "pictures" by assembling hundreds (if not thousands) of objects in a mosaic like mural. These assemblages are 3 dimensional, and when viewed from the right perspective, they create an image.
Imagine going to every thrift store, goodwill, value village, salvation army and yard sale, in a 100 mile radius, hit a handful of dumpsters while you are at it, gather up all the trashiest junk you can find. Now imagine a warehouse sized studio where Tom sorts and assembles his amazing "pictures". Or just check out the videos on his website and you won't have to try too hard to imagine it.
The video here is a look at one of his pieces that he made as a tribute to famous pop culture icon. Can you guess who she is? See if you can spot the reference to JFK's assassination. But really you should check out the video of his studio, it's mind blowing. The guy must have either married well or be a trust-funder.
But forget about that monsterous studio for a minute and focus on the materials he is working with. For the most part it is the kind of plastic trash that is filling our landfills. Its outrageous that it even exists and for the most part we try to pretend it doesn't exist. But there it is, and Tom's got the time and space to turn it into something amazing. I wouldn't exactly call his work beautiful, but it does make you think.
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