One man's trash is another man's treasure — we've all heard the old adage, but Nelson Molina, a longtime sanitation worker in Manhattan, takes the saying to an entirely new level: a self-curated, full-fledged art gallery — from other people's trash.
The New York Times toured Mr. Molina's gallery recently, getting a rare peek into the collection that contains everything from a Masters of Business Administration diploma (from Harvard!) to a portrait of Winston Churchill.
Mr. Molina admits that the best trash is often found in the more well-to-do neighborhoods; he has been collecting his treasures for over 20 years and has found a distinct pattern in locating the best finds. His approach is inspiring; he's a diligent collector of things others have thrown out, and the items are intriguing not only in their singularity, but because they all have the same common thread: they were all deemed as junk by their previous owners.
What do you think about this scavenged art gallery? Trash or treasure?
Read More: In a Sanitation Garage, a Gallery of Scavenged Art; New York Times
(Image: Librado Romero/The New York Times)
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Wow. My best dumpster diving has been on my own street & the roads leading to it. Funky 70s floor rocking chair, airline parts boxes, sandbox, shelves...
this is incredible! I bet he has some amazing stuff.
Amazing! Id love to see more up close shots of his finds. He probably has some treasures hiding in there!:)
HA! That's really cool. The NYT article noted that sanitation workers are not allowed to collect items from trash for their own use but because Mr. Molina is using this collection to share with other sanitation workers, it doesn't break the rules. haha, awesome.
Sarah, click through
It's kinda like the coolest thrift shop ever. Except you can't buy anything.
Finding joy and beauty in a job most wouldn't want...priceless.
Sigh....I am so jealous...
Slideshow of gallery: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/07/24/nyregion/20120724appraisal.html
Amazing, what a treasure!
I seem to remember this gallery being discussed in a book called "Mongo" that examined how a number of different New Yorkers searched for , used and capitalized upon trash. I think I have the title right but can't recall the name of the author. For all of you appreciate this sort of thing(as I do) I think you'll enjoy the book.
Oh, and does anyone else recall a late 80's or early 90's Fox sitcom called "Roc" about a Baltimore trash collector? Part of the fun of that show was seeing what the writers and prop masters found for him to find each week.
I've been to this DOS garage (had to drop off some worn-out bicycle tires). Indeed, they have great stuff there, and the folks who work there are some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.