Artist known for working with garbage delivers powerful warning through haunting creations: 'I think we're in real trouble'

Artist Thomas Deininger — also known as the "Trash Artist" — is passionate about the environment and is using his art to send a message and raise awareness.

The state of the environment is his largest source of anxiety. "I think we're in real trouble," he says in a video documenting his work. 

"We have a problem with consumption and waste," Deininger states, recognizing that a large part of the issue is single-use plastics that can't be recycled and the negative impact they have on the environment. 

He is concerned about plastic waste getting into our waterways and land, and he thinks that humans are careless.

The video points out that more than eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the Earth's oceans every year.

Deininger uses a plastic action figure as a prime example. He explains that it probably takes about 12 designers and executives to move a small toy from concept to production, using natural resources in the process. 

A kid might play with it for only a few minutes before discarding it. Whether it ends up in a landfill or in the ocean, it won't break down for thousands of years, a thought that alarms the artist.

Incorporating a variety of plastic waste into his art with a common thread of discarded toys as a primary material, Deininger is critical of what he perceives to be a double standard. He often uses the toys in disturbing or provocative ways, which sometimes garners negative attention.

Deininger wonders why people don't think anything about the oceans being littered with plastic, but they are easily offended by "some weird little thing with some action figures" in his art.

The artist says that he feels bad for all of the species on Earth, but he feels especially bad for humanity. He sees potential and doesn't feel that humans are living up to it.

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"We can't go on with plastics like this forever," Deininger states in a video produced by the Ethan Cohen Gallery, where many of his artworks are on display.

With the use of these discarded plastics, Deininger challenges us to look at the material from a different perspective. Upon first glance, his work may look like a pile of haphazardly-glued-together junk. But at the right angle, it becomes magic. Wildlife, both ordinary and exotic, takes shape with uncanny accuracy

"I'll worry about the anatomy of a cardinal," he states. "I'll find it in the gutter."

He calls his own art both depressing and inspiring.

"And all I can think to do is glue junk on the wall," the artist says, downplaying the profound message he is sending. 

He hopes that his art will offer future generations a portal into cultural norms of a bygone era and that non-biodegradable plastics will soon be a thing of the past.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.