This is a list of art and artists who do not only work with discards (a fairly common practice), but whose ideas, content, and methodologies are discard studies in and of themselves. This is only a short list; if you would like to recommend additional art, artists, or exhibitions, please leave a comment below.

Artists

Kim Abeles: The Smog Collectors

Catherine Bertola: sculptures made of dust and glue

Josh Blackwell: plastic bag art

Donna Colton: waste-based socio-archaeological

James Croak: cast dirt sculpture

Daniele Del Nero: mould & architecture

Mirian Dym: wasteless art/product processes

Justin Gignac: NYC trash cubes

Paul Hazelton: sculptures made of dust

Andy Hughes: “littoral zone” & environmental concerns

Nathan Kensinger: photographs abandoned and industrial edges of NYC

Max Liboiron: practice-based research via trash economies

Carey Lin: hoarding

Pam Lombardi: psychological relationship between humans, marine debris, and the natural world

Gordon Matta Clark: destruction, entropy and leftover spaces

Steve McPherson: systems of knowledge & information using trash, particularly marine debris

Alexandre Orion: filth graffiti

Julie Parker: art from dryer lint

Anne Percoco: performance with/for/of found objects

Atis Rezistans: The Grand Rue Sculptors: make-do, survivalist recycling and artistic endeavor

Aurora Robson: interrupting the waste stream via plastic debris

Robbie Rowlands: discarded architectures

Paul Lloyd Sargent: practice-based research on supply and disposal chains

HA Schult: garbage armies

Lizzie Scott: performance art about the permanence & ephemerality of discards

Muriel Laderman Ukeles: sanitation art

Maarten Vanden Eynde: waste and zoology/evolution

Bryan Zanisnik: mystical environments made of collections of discards

Artworks/series:

Aw, Zinkie. (2012). Republic of Pulau Semakau. Photography.

Binder, Justin. (2011). Dumpster Drive. Digital software.

Blommaert, Brandon Jan. (2009). Virtual Trash Sculptures.

Collis, Susan. (2008). Love is A Charm of Powerful Trouble. Wooden broom, white opal, yellow opal, Brazilian opal, cultured pearl, freshwater pearl, mother of pearl, white diamond, black diamond, sapphire, garnet, ruby, labradorite, moonstone, white howite, jadeite, citron cyrsoprase, turquoise, peridot, emerald.

Eskinja, Igor.  (2011). Dust Carpet. Dust. (several pieces)

Elkins, Willis. (2010-2011). New York City Lighter Log. Discarded lighters, maps.

Freeman, Christina. Plums for Trash. International trash exchanges.

James, Valerie. (n.d.). Migrant Trash. objects found in borderland deserts.

Jordan, Chris. (2006-present). Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait,series. Photographs.

Korda, Serena. (2011). Laid to Rest. Dust, performance.

Leech, Gwyneth. (2008-2009). Cup Drawings. Disposable cups, markers.

Leis, Heikki. (n.d.) Afterlife series. Photographs of mould.

Levi, Stacy. (2000). Mold Garden. Glass, growth medium, mold spores, stainless steel hardware.

Noble, Tim and Sue Webster. (1997-2006). Various Shadow Sculptures. Light, trash.

Otero-Pailos, Jorge. (2009). The Ethics of Dust: Doge’s Palace. Latex and dust.

Palmer, Angela. (2009). Breathing In. Air, pollutants, mixed media.

Phillips, Sarah Nicole. (2011-present). Curbside Object Status Tags. Silkscreened cards.

Pichler, Klaus. (2011). One Third: A project on food waste. Photography and informational captions

Pistoletto, Michelangelo. (1967, 1974). Venus of the Rags. Marble and textiles.

Premo, Mac. The Dumpster Project. Objects, dumpster.

Sensible City Lab. (n.d.). Trash | Track. Multimedia project.

Stacy Levy. (2000). Mold Garden. Glass, mold.

Stookey, Nathaniel. (2007). Junkorchestra. A symphony in three movements, for 30 or so “instruments” created from trash.

Tratnik, Polona (2006). Microcosm. Mold, bathroom fixtures, artist’s bodily bacteria.

Art Exhibitions/ Sites:

Chasing Sanitation: Falling in Love with New York’s Strongest.

Design Squish Blog: Upcycling materials to bring former trash into domestic and everyday spaces.

FridgeFungus.com: The name says it all.

Junk to Funk: fashion show.

Landfillart: an international effort encompassing one-thousand-forty-one (1,041) artists to claim a piece of rusted metal garbage and create fine art.

Museum of Synthetic Preservation: salvation and storage of (waste) materials around the museum.

Recycling the looking-glass / Trash art – Found objects

Trans Trash: Understanding Waste Streams.

Trash Baby Makes Art.

Universal Warning Sign: Yucca Mountain.