The photographs are part of a year-long, 365 day project documenting the massive amount of objects discarded and hidden in the alleys of downtown Troy, NY. Mattresses, box springs, washing machines, clothing, chairs, couches, tires, TVs, shoes, toys, paint brushes, and underwear are just some of the categories photographed. Abandoned, broken, obsolete, or perhaps no longer desired, these collections suggest bigger narratives. Observations noted items could be there for a day or weeks or months. They were moved around, opened up, possibly sat in or slept on, inspected, taken apart, piled on, rained on, or suddenly gone, all by who is a mystery.

Little did I know when I started this project that subtexts would be revealed beyond my initial intent of exposing the enormity of planned obsolescence. Compounded by their hidden presence in the alleys, away from public view, themes became evident. Eviction. Homelessness. Poverty. Privilege. Disrespect. Perpetuation of a warped value system, amplified by encounters with, for example, an overabundance of plastic and plush toys dumped without any regard for the privilege of having had them, while children were left caged at the border. Has this throwaway culture supported by planned obsolescence contributed to these levels of inhumanity?

As part of the documentation and collection process for “Planned Obsolescence”, 365 images each numbered and titled were posted just about every day on Instagram from May 2, 2019 - May 15, 2020.