Brazilian artist subject of documentary on creating art with trash

Changing the way we look at art takes skill that most artists don’t have.

In the film “Wasteland,” Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist living in Brooklyn, discusses modern art with a trash worker who assists him in his latest project, painting the images of junkyard workers in Rio de Janiero with the very thing that gives them jobs-trash.

“Did you not like modern art because you didn’t understand it?” Muniz asks.

It’s a question that Wasteland audiences should ask themselves, not only because the film features modern art, but because the film is a piece of modern art itself.

The concept of using trash to create portraits of “pickers,” as the trash workers call themselves, is another collection in Muniz’s unique artistic style—he uses odd materials to create images that tie in to the subjects themselves.

In 2005, Muniz created self-portraits using leaves, gold pieces and chocolate syrup.

In 2004, he used diamonds to create portraits of Bette Davis and Marlene Dietrich. While he uses odd materials to express his ideas, much of the modern art community has reacted positively to his novel style—one portrait he created for the Pictures of Garbage collection titled “Marat (Sebastiao)” sold for $50,000.

Looking at the way Muniz chooses to capture the essence of the subject, many audiences who enjoy traditional art and cinema may not appreciate the subtleties of the film—the way the plot follows not just the project, but also the lives of the pickers.

The junkyard employees who embrace Muniz’s vision the most welcome the camera crew into their homes, even those who live miles out of town.

The connections that Muniz and his staff draw between the workers and themselves make the film what it is—not just a documentary about an artist, but a documentary about the journey that brings people out of the worst conditions and onto something better.