Response to Vic Muniz

I really enjoyed the work of Vic Muniz and the powerful impact he had in the documentary. I think it’s very cool and unique to use food as a template for an outline of people and pictures used for photography. It is a very creative way to come full circle with the trash workers to build their outlines with recyclable objects. I thought it was very interesting to see the positive attitudes and outlooks in the personalities in the workers. Most people had a smile on their face, despite their job and he various hardships in their lives. I’m glad that Vic was able to document them and make a big impact in their lives by showing them how important they are. I especially liked when Vic used the bottle caps and various smaller objects to show texture in the faces. Vic’s wife brings up a valid point, however, with psychologically affecting the workers and taking them out of their “bubble.” I definitely feel that the workers were living in a bubble, but a lot of people all over the world do, especially when they live in rural areas. When someone lives in an area and has a certain way of life for so long, even their whole life, they often don’t know any better and only know things that learn about from others. They often don’t experience things for themselves, but Vic was able to give them that rare opportunity. Although there was a risk of the psychological health of the workers to change negatively, I think it was worth the risk for Vic to do this project.