Give Take Give
Lawrence, Kansas, 2013
There is a dumpster in the alley near my apartment that for decades has supported a small gift economy. The way it works is simple, people leave what they want to give away and take what they need. I am a participant in this exchange, and have documented its ever-changing contents and the social scene it has engendered. It is a wonder of mixed up treasure and a locus for neighborhood news. For years I thought I thought about making something of my observations, but hesitated (for fear of bringing too much attention to the dumpster) until plans for a large hotel to go in the open space across from it were filed with the city. I sensed that if the hotel was built (which it was), the alley would be transformed into something that would be a far cry from the improvised gathering place it had been for so long.
Before construction began, I started the Give Take Give project to explore the layers of stuff circulating through this informal gift economy and document the stories from people who have maintained it. Supported by a grant from the Rocket Grants program, I spent a year doing inventories, taking photographs and talking with people about the dumpster and what it meant to them. The project was chronicled here, and culminated in a book, exhibition and story telling event.
