Says Daniel: The term “Trigger Trash” is used by the United States Bureau of Land Management to describe firearm related waste found on federally owned, public land. In Eastern Idaho, recreational shooting is legal in these rural places, but it is unlawful to discard any targets, shrapnel, or debris. As a nonnative resident and an outsider to gun culture, I began collecting and documenting these objects with the intent to metaphorically describe the traditions and ideologies of local gun owners. In order to present these items as cultural artifacts, I have adopted a visual style that is informed by the clinical approach of archaeological photography. I am interested in how these post-consumer product-targets characterize individuals, relate an attitude of rebelliousness that aligns with a mythologized view of the American West, and represent a culture of violence inexorably linked to firearm use.
Daniel George is a photographic artist whose work is rooted in the medium’s documentary tradition and explores the interconnection of place and culture as it relates to communal and personal identity. Having lived as a transplant in various locations throughout his adult life, he uses the camera to study defining characteristics of the communities within which he resides. The resulting photographs are his attempt to visualize and understand the idiosyncrasies of human activity in these local cultures. Daniel’s work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across the United States, and has been published internationally in both print and online publications. He is currently based out of Vineyard, UT where he teaches at nearby Brigham Young University.
Website: danielgeorgephoto.net
