East Bay Artist Puts His Shovel Where His Mouth Is: 
JC Garrett and the Art Landfill Project

Interview by Phil Miller. Originally published in The Wave magazine, volume one, issue one. (August 2001)

What is your experience with art? (Do you have any formal art education?) 

My sister was really the artist in my family in the more traditional sense. A self made beatnik, she could make something out of nothing. I initially learned from her. My mother on the other hand hated art and would periodically destroy (burn) works I created inspired by alien life forms, revolutionaries, and monsters. She especially hated anything she deemed subversive. Flowers and clowns were her preference. I eventually went to a big state university back east in the early seventies, where I studying painting and sculpture and became involved independently w/early video, conceptual art, performance, and music. I also immersed myself in linguistics, semiotics, Situationism, political and sexual theory, blah, blah... I dropped out of Grad school in 77, convinced there was no future for Art. My basic philosophy has not really changed since then. 

Do/did you show in galleries? Etc?

Mostly alternative spaces many of which I created myself. Any venue is the right venue. Any medium is the right medium as long as it doesn't take up valuable space. I'm still waiting for an  invitation to create and display works in the Whitehouse.


How long have you been "in the art world"? 

Too long. Art is my lingua franca. It is the framework through which all my creative communications takes place. My writing is art. My speech is art. My acting is art. My web work is art.
It's all a big yoke around my neck. 


What experiences in it drove you to create the landfill project?

Too many artists. Everywhere I turn, artists. I've lived in warehouse studios most of my adult life surrounded by other warehouse studios filled to the rafters with overproduction. Artists are the worst packrats on earth. Driven by their senseless egos they save every little scrap they touch in the hopes society will someday pay attention. Don't get me wrong, I love all artists like they were my own children. But the combination of artists/machines and a consumer culture spinning out of control has to be reversed. .Besides, most art is heavy, and I don't like hauling around heavy stuff.

Explain your current project? How did you become interested in this project?

The current project is analogous to plumbing. We need to reduce the flow of art and increase the quality. Reduce environmental impacts. Imagine art treatment facilities. How about clean burning art furnaces to generate power. Mulching w/art. Composting w/art. Eliminate grants and other unnatural market forces that pollute the creative environment. If you've lived with as much art as I have, for as long as I have, you'd agree. Dematerialize NOW!


Is there a realistic implementation of the project, or is it purely conceptual?

Sure it's real. I'm real ain't I? Revolutionary concepts take time. We've already established our first landfill facility in Deming New Mexico, and are following through w/all the regulatory requirements as of this interview. Rome wasn't built in a day and it'll take even longer to deconstruct and repair the Art world. We are in the most difficult phase of consciousness raising and momentum building. We will persevere. We must, if art is to continue for future generations

So how will the landfill work? What is the process?

Obviously, with a project of this magnitude there will be a lot of logistical obstacles to work out. Initially, an artist (or anyone with excess art product) would contact the landfill site. The specifics would be negotiated there on a case by case basis. I would ultimately like to see our program made available through museums and other art related institutions.

What will you do when the Deming site reaches it's maximum capacity?

Clearly, the Deming site could not accommodate the vast quantities of art being generated, and other satellite sites would be set up throughout the country ( and eventually globally) as the program catches on.

Are you influenced by internet-based art (i.e. the possibility of art being digital and not physical)?

I wouldn't say influenced. I except the inevitability of the web and try and focus on it's more positive aspects. Currently, most so called digital art is more about the software that creates it than anything philosophically sustainable, but that will change as more people come on board and a broader base of content evolves.


Will the rise of the web subvert the concept of your project?

Not at the current pace. But as an artist always enamored of subversion, what could be a greater complement?