Several years ago I was volunteering for Artworks in Trenton, and standing around in the parking lot opposite the DMV waiting for an artist to show up. As it was a Sunday there were no cars – only an empty parking lot and a bit of trash left behind. The cleaners or wind had made piles of leaves and garbage. I kept noticing tons of flat cans on the ground – all rolled flat by the heavy volume of cars in and out of the parking lot all week. They looked interesting to me so I started collecting them.

Admittedly, they sat around in my studio for a long time. Before I started photographing them, I would roll block print ink on the really flat ones and pull prints. For some reason I was resistant to photograph them – FINALLY I did and couldn’t believe how they looked in the camera. Photo realistic – air brushed – pop art – I loved the look and had tons of stock. I would shoot several a day and keep a look out for more on my travels and I would find several a day that summer I was looking.

Friends and family started collecting them and mailing them to me from the UK and China. I ended up with over 200 cans – luckily they don’t take up much space.