Born in April 1975, a graduate of the DNSEP, MC Garbage lives and works in Brussels. He exhibits in France (Lille, Le Touquet, Paris, St Tropez) and Belgium (Brussels, Mouscron). His paintings are made from photographs (or photographic combinations) of garbage cans found on the streets of the world. Real modern landscapes, they are snapshots of our lives and reveal the futility of our society. At first glance, they are realistic paintings, beautiful to contemplate - quite easy - but they actually denounce the latent problems linked to our way of life.
"As a painter of reality, I want to show things that we no longer see, out of occultation or habit. The waste accumulated in the city allows me to treat all kinds of forms, materials, subjects: shiny and coloured plastics, transparency of acetates, flashy aluminiums, magazine covers dealing with current events, various packaging...
I propose a similar approach to hyperrealistic painters, except that my version - through its mode of representation - differs in its meaning and purpose. My work questions both the art world - what should I paint today? - and the society of men. My garbage paintings reflect the insatiable consumerism of our society. These are modern vanities that remind us of the famous Latin phrase "memento mori", "remember that you will die". Beyond the beauty of this waste, therefore, appears a raw reality: we will all end up like soda cans, on the scrap heap! As a residual effect, I would like the viewer to find art on every street corner by recalling my work and remembering the brevity of life by meditating on the meaning of its existence..." MC Garbage
