Trash Mountain Project: Redemption Process
Unveiling the painting at Trash Mountain Project's 2018 Spoken Event
This painting was created for the fundraising event “Spoken: A Benefit for Trash Mountain Project.” I had been commissioned by Brett Durbin, the director of TMP, to create a large painting to be used as a visual aid for his talk during the event. The painting measures 4’x5’ and was completed in 57 hours over a span of seven days.
◽️
The painting was themed around the six step process developed by Trash Mountain for rescuing children and families from trash dump communities around the world. In an effort to help clarify this complicated process, it was decided to present this information within the context of sewer plumbing.
◽️
A intertwined network of rusty, corroded sewer pipes symbolically represent the horrendous conditions of the countless dump sites around the world that have become the only means of survival for the tragically impoverished. The haphazardly arranged pipes are meant to convey the overwhelming complexity
of trying to save people from this situation. The putrid water spewing from the pipes are the people who have been left to live and die on literal mountains of trash. The goal of Trash Mountain Project is to redirect this current of water away from the despair and dependency of the dump site and relocate it to a future place of hope and opportunity. The various words around the painting identify TMP’s six step process for making this happen. The following description includes TMP’s official explanation of these steps and my attempt
to convey these points through the imagery used in the painting.
◽️
RESEARCH
“Unfortunately there is very little known and published about trash dump communities, so researching and increasing our knowledge on the issue is essential.”
🎨
The scaffolding in the foreground represents TMP’s research efforts. There are surprisingly few organizations researching these communities. And so while simply investigating these sites doesn’t directly rescue individuals from these dismal conditions, it does provide the crucial framework that allows TMP to come into the sites and begin working towards that goal.
◽️
RELATIONSHIPS
“To develop long term solutions we must build relationships with local leaders within the communities with the ultimate goal of establishing a partnership.”
🎨
The rusty pipe labeled with “Relationships” represents the local leaders that TMP seeks out within the trash dump communities. This is depicted by the new pipe that joins at the top of the rusty one. This pipe bends around and feeds into the “Relief” pipe. Thus, the local leaders are connected with TMP, allowing both teams to become partners in the relief process
◽️
RELIEF
“Urgent, and many times life-threatening, needs arise that must be addressed through short term relief efforts.”
🎨
Just to the left of the “Relationships” pipe is a cracked pipe that is spraying water. This represents the life-threatening needs that must immediately be addressed. To the right of the broken pipe is another that has clearly been leaking but has been patched with a new piece of metal. This is obviously not a long term solution, but does temporarily resolve the problem of the loss of water, or in the context of this metaphor, the loss of life. Thus the “Relief” pipe is the first opportunity for water to be channeled away from these deplorable circumstances.
◽️
RESOURCES
“Once the needs and plan are established, we share resources to provide solutions such as leadership mobilization, adequate nutrition, healthcare, education, livelihood projects, and spiritual development initiatives.”
🎨
The bundle of three pipes labeled as “Resources” demonstrates that this component of the plan provides the most potential for lasting impact. The variety of resources TMP is able to provide enables the communities to eventually become self sufficient. In the context of the plumbing metaphor, this is where the largest volume of water gets diverted away from the sewer.
◽️
RESTORATION
“We believe that faith, hope, and love are the key ingredients to breaking the cycle of despair. To experience lasting change, there is simply no substitute for the slow growing process of maturing spiritually.”
🎨
The restoration pipe comes straight down from above, demonstrating that our Heavenly Father is the only one truly capable of accomplishing this task. Because TMP is a biblically-based organization, they are directly connected to the goal of spiritual restoration for every individual they serve. This pipe then the leads off into the distance, eventually draining into a clean, flowing river. The length of pipe that the water must travel to get to the river represents the slow growing process of spiritual maturity. This process, which often times may take years, does eventually provide access to rivers of living water. The river then leads into the background with a vibrant sunset, suggesting the hope and future TMP seeks to create for all those afflicted by these tragic conditions.
◽️
RENEWAL
“Trash dump communities are a global problem expected to grow 70% by 2050. Our vision for renewal is to empower our communities with the tools to actually solve the problem, to process trash is safer, healthier, more productive ways.”
🎨
The concept of “Renewal” is depicted by the large shut-off valve directly above the draining sewer pipe. The hope is that one day TMP can coordinate with government officials around the world to help them develop legislation that will effectively stop this problem at the source. If a model for this process could be developed, we could see a great many of these horrible landscapes completely eradicated. And the people who once inhabited them could be given new lives, with the opportunities and dignity they deserve as fellow children of God!
◽️
The painting was themed around the six step process developed by Trash Mountain for rescuing children and families from trash dump communities around the world. In an effort to help clarify this complicated process, it was decided to present this information within the context of sewer plumbing.
◽️
A intertwined network of rusty, corroded sewer pipes symbolically represent the horrendous conditions of the countless dump sites around the world that have become the only means of survival for the tragically impoverished. The haphazardly arranged pipes are meant to convey the overwhelming complexity
of trying to save people from this situation. The putrid water spewing from the pipes are the people who have been left to live and die on literal mountains of trash. The goal of Trash Mountain Project is to redirect this current of water away from the despair and dependency of the dump site and relocate it to a future place of hope and opportunity. The various words around the painting identify TMP’s six step process for making this happen. The following description includes TMP’s official explanation of these steps and my attempt
to convey these points through the imagery used in the painting.
◽️
RESEARCH
“Unfortunately there is very little known and published about trash dump communities, so researching and increasing our knowledge on the issue is essential.”
🎨
The scaffolding in the foreground represents TMP’s research efforts. There are surprisingly few organizations researching these communities. And so while simply investigating these sites doesn’t directly rescue individuals from these dismal conditions, it does provide the crucial framework that allows TMP to come into the sites and begin working towards that goal.
◽️
RELATIONSHIPS
“To develop long term solutions we must build relationships with local leaders within the communities with the ultimate goal of establishing a partnership.”
🎨
The rusty pipe labeled with “Relationships” represents the local leaders that TMP seeks out within the trash dump communities. This is depicted by the new pipe that joins at the top of the rusty one. This pipe bends around and feeds into the “Relief” pipe. Thus, the local leaders are connected with TMP, allowing both teams to become partners in the relief process
◽️
RELIEF
“Urgent, and many times life-threatening, needs arise that must be addressed through short term relief efforts.”
🎨
Just to the left of the “Relationships” pipe is a cracked pipe that is spraying water. This represents the life-threatening needs that must immediately be addressed. To the right of the broken pipe is another that has clearly been leaking but has been patched with a new piece of metal. This is obviously not a long term solution, but does temporarily resolve the problem of the loss of water, or in the context of this metaphor, the loss of life. Thus the “Relief” pipe is the first opportunity for water to be channeled away from these deplorable circumstances.
◽️
RESOURCES
“Once the needs and plan are established, we share resources to provide solutions such as leadership mobilization, adequate nutrition, healthcare, education, livelihood projects, and spiritual development initiatives.”
🎨
The bundle of three pipes labeled as “Resources” demonstrates that this component of the plan provides the most potential for lasting impact. The variety of resources TMP is able to provide enables the communities to eventually become self sufficient. In the context of the plumbing metaphor, this is where the largest volume of water gets diverted away from the sewer.
◽️
RESTORATION
“We believe that faith, hope, and love are the key ingredients to breaking the cycle of despair. To experience lasting change, there is simply no substitute for the slow growing process of maturing spiritually.”
🎨
The restoration pipe comes straight down from above, demonstrating that our Heavenly Father is the only one truly capable of accomplishing this task. Because TMP is a biblically-based organization, they are directly connected to the goal of spiritual restoration for every individual they serve. This pipe then the leads off into the distance, eventually draining into a clean, flowing river. The length of pipe that the water must travel to get to the river represents the slow growing process of spiritual maturity. This process, which often times may take years, does eventually provide access to rivers of living water. The river then leads into the background with a vibrant sunset, suggesting the hope and future TMP seeks to create for all those afflicted by these tragic conditions.
◽️
RENEWAL
“Trash dump communities are a global problem expected to grow 70% by 2050. Our vision for renewal is to empower our communities with the tools to actually solve the problem, to process trash is safer, healthier, more productive ways.”
🎨
The concept of “Renewal” is depicted by the large shut-off valve directly above the draining sewer pipe. The hope is that one day TMP can coordinate with government officials around the world to help them develop legislation that will effectively stop this problem at the source. If a model for this process could be developed, we could see a great many of these horrible landscapes completely eradicated. And the people who once inhabited them could be given new lives, with the opportunities and dignity they deserve as fellow children of God!
