After moving to Iowa City in 2023, I began taking pictures of items I found on streets, sidewalks, and lawns. I had no particular intentions for this documentation, only my own curiosity about what my neighbors were throwing away.

In 2024, the Iowa City Downtown District announced a clean-up initiative which would remove “garbage” such as posters and fliers from all public spaces, except for a handful of designated kiosks. This received harsh criticism from residents who rely on so-called “trash” to feel connected and informed.

Trashes to Trashes is a series of twelve illustrations letterpress-printed on twelve different handmade papers. Roughly twenty to thirty copies of each print were produced, and all but six of each were hung throughout downtown Iowa City. The current state of these prints is unknown, but presumably most have been destroyed. The remaining prints have been collated into an edition of six sets, housed in handmade boxes.

For the illustrations, I referenced my photographs of discarded, ephemeral, worthless objects. My process of observing, documenting, drawing, papermaking, and printing required these objects be treated reverently, worthy of my labor and care. By putting the finished prints on display for my community to view and interact with, they were assigned the same value as the items which inspired them: garbage.

By arranging identical prints in editioned sets, they claim the value of fine art. Nothing has changed but their context. This work is intended to raise questions about who has the power to determine an object’s worth. You are encouraged to keep these prints to yourself, or hang them up in your neighborhood.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.