BY: BROOKLYN PINHEIRO
After its one-time use a disposable water bottle may sit in your recycling bin for a week until it’s swept away never to be thought of by you again. So much trash passes through our hands we’re hardly able to quantify it.
French freelance photographer, Antoine Repesse, set out on a mission to capture what our lives would look like if we weren’t able to dispose of all the trash we use. The series titled #365 Unpacked began in 2011, when Repesse started collecting all recyclable products until the photos series concluded four years later.
Filling every room in his house with sorted toilet paper rolls, plastic containers, cigarette boxes and many more things, Repesse ended up collecting around 70 meters cubed of waste for his photographs.
The photos, while visually appealing, are intended to wake up the public to realize the extent of the impact their daily trash can have.
“I think the impact of a picture can be more powerful than a ton of words,” said Repesse. “We can’t just ignore that we’re responsible for this.”
Repesse started freelancing photography five years ago, his interest has remained in capturing the human condition and tackling social problems. He has never regretted leaving his office job to pursue his passion.
“It’s exciting not to know what tomorrow will be made of,” he said.
His dedication to his craft is truly illustrated through this series. Not only did each photo take up to a full day to capture, but living with the trash over the span of four years really brought this modern problem close to home.
“To be involved in this project made me more conscious,” said Repesse, before adding, “but I’m still not perfect.”
