Lot With a Little
The Context of Consumption
Location
Rochester, N.Y.
Client
Rochester Institute of Technology Graphic Design MFA Program
Design Team
Sarah M. Kirchoff (MFA candidate, project manager)
Instructor
Deborah Beardslee (associate professor/School of Design, thesis advisor)
Fabrication
Sarah M. Kirchoff, The Print and Postal Hub at RIT (printing)
Consultants
Alex Bitterman (associate professor/School of Design, associate thesis designer), Therese Mulligan (professor/School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, associate thesis advisor)
Photos
Sarah M. Kirchoff
Garbage cans are often the center of pollution on an individual level. By implementing unexpected display approaches in particular public contexts, this set of three installations sought to heighten viewer awareness of this often-overlooked functional object and draw attention to issues of both individual and society-wide consumption and pollution.
The three installations were created in conjunction with Sarah Kirchoff’s 2008 MFA thesis titled, “The Influence of Context on Message-Making and Audience Reception in Graphic Design.” Kirchoff’s premise is that the reception of a graphic design solution is greatly affected by its viewing environment, that is, the space around it and how it is approached and accessed. Designers have a hand in controlling contextual factors that contribute to a given graphic design solution, as well as the form that it takes, and how it is presented to an audience. By utilizing incongruent methods of display (methods that rebel against the chosen context), a designer can bring more attention to his or her solution and strengthen viewer response.
For her one-day installations on Earth Day 2008, Kirchoff chose three existing garbage cans at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Student Alumni Union. Each installation interacted with the site/context/environment in meaningful and unexpected ways, drawing viewer attention and thus reinforcing the potential for understanding three different environmental statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The contexts of the installations were integral to their success. All three sites shared the common, linked feature of the trash can, but they also maintained individual site-specific components that contributed to the uniqueness of each specific solution. The trash cans were deliberately chosen to be visible and public with paths for ample pedestrian foot traffic and consumable items available nearby. Three types of environments were chosen: indoor (Solution One), transitional (Solution Two), and outdoor (Solution Three). Incongruent or unexpected formal approaches were also vital to the success of the installations: three dimensionality, texture, and random arrangement (Solution One); suspension, implied movement, and transparency (Solution Two); and the use of outlines/abstraction, temporary media, and implied growth (Solution Three).
Solution One
“Over 230 million pounds of garbage are generated by Americans each year. More than 50% of this waste must be placed in landfills.” (United States Environmental Protection Agency)
Solution One was installed on the ground floor of the SAU in a busy interior space between several dining halls. An existing building corner and floor decoration provided a stage for creating a three-dimensional solution. A large sign displaying EPA statistics about landfill rates fit snugly into the mouth of the trashcan, cutting the opening in half. This allowed for a large, exaggerated pile of trash to spill out of one half of the can onto the floor of the SAU.
Solution Two
“Each American produces an average of 4.7 pounds of trash each day. Compare this to the 2.7 pounds a day produced by each American in 1960.” (United States Environmental Protection Agency)
Located on the ground floor of the SAU just inside a busy entrance with transparent glass doors, this solution could be viewed by people both entering and leaving the building. The primary components of this solution were two semi-transparent trash bags suspended from the door frame above the actual trash can: the larger bag was labeled on both sides for the year 2007, while the smaller bag was labeled for the year 1960. The trash can itself was labeled 2008. A larger panel displaying the EPA statistics hung behind the bags and trash can.
Solution Three
“The amount of waste generated in America has tripled since 1960.” (United States Environmental Protection Agency)
Solution Three was placed outside a busy side entrance to the SAU. This installation was composed of a series of outlines (installed with waterproof white tape) on the brick wall behind the trashcan. These outlines replicated the height of the can at 200% and 300% of original size, thus mirroring the growth in trash production. The EPA statistic was presented on a semi-circular board that was intended to suggest the “active” opening of the actual trash can.
Surveys were conducted on the date of installation, and the vast majority of respondents agreed that the contextually-sensitive installations helped to convey each given environmental message. Survey findings further support Kirchoff’s larger premise: developing a design solution to address and integrate the qualities of a particular physical context can greatly increase viewer awareness and strengthen intended message-making.
Kirchoff’s full thesis paper, the background research that informed the installations, and viewer feedback are available at https://ritdml.rit.edu/handle/1850/6243
Jury comments
“The designer used visual metaphor, wit, and a high degree of resourcefulness to communicate the consequences of runaway waste and consumption. Placed in high-traffic, high-visibility locations, these installations spark conversations and, one would hope, action on the part of students to use prudence and common sense to diminish the impact of our contemporary culture’s habits.”