Discarded: The Afterlife of Everyday Electronics

In today’s material world, many people crave the best technology available. Looking at young children to adults, there is an urge to have the newest game system, phone, computer, tablet, programs, and more. The companies that create these items know that there is a demand for technology advances and know that they can make the smallest changes to their items and sell the “new” model the very next year. With new items coming out yearly and with people insisting that they need it, there is no slowing down to the technology boom that in turn creates a larger amount of discarded unwanted old items.

Through a variety of mediums, Discarded focuses on the abundance of everyday electronics and their constant upgrades while examining what happens to the discarded used item. This multi medium exhibition uses photography, mixed media works, time-based works, and installations to display the discarded everyday technology. The artists exhibited examine electronic waste in many ways. Some show the horrors of the waste going to pollute third world countries. Other artists recycle the discarded electronics by reusing them in their own works. Regardless if the item is thrown out, recycled or sold, there is a narrative that is created through these discarded items.