Discarded rubbish becomes a canvas for Barcelona-born street artist Francisco de Pájaro, known by his artistic moniker Art is Trash. On street corners in London, his striking sculptures emerge from the debris of urban life: frightened yellow eyes peer out from packaging tape bodies, Native Americans gallop atop mattress horses, and garbage bags transform into vivid political commentary. De Pájaro's ephemeral creations are a celebration of impermanence, crafted from the refuse that society deems worthless.
De Pájaro revels in the fleeting nature of his art. Each piece, formed from bin bags, broken furniture, and discarded boxes, carries the risk of disappearing into a garbage truck. Whether portraying terrified figures like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden or monsters and animals, his sculptures are often humorous, provocative, or even grotesque. “I am creating fun and beauty out of something society considers gross and disgusting,” he says. “Garbage is hated, ignored, considered smelly and rotten. But for me, it has become a place to create monsters, to make fun of politicians and the humorless.”
A Rebel Against Conventions
De Pájaro moved to London seeking freedom from Spain’s economic struggles and restrictive laws banning street art. There, he embraced a new kind of artistic freedom. “Painting trash in London is certainly not making me any money, but it is great fun,” he says. His approach is rapid and spontaneous: finding a pile of rubbish, rearranging and painting it, adding tape, signing it with Art is Trash, and walking away. The result is art that’s accessible to everyone, bypassing the exclusivity of galleries.
Frustrated by the elitism of the traditional art world, de Pájaro turned his back on it. “I thought it was absurd to paint pictures that no one would buy,” he explains. “The art market is full of vultures. I used to think that without a gallery, I was a nobody. Now, I take my art to the streets and connect with far more people.”
Social Media Amplifies the Message
Social media, particularly Instagram, has become an essential platform for preserving de Pájaro’s ephemeral works, which might otherwise be lost forever. His sculptures, rich in humor and critique, have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, challenging the notion of what art can be and where it belongs. Through Art is Trash, Francisco de Pájaro continues to transform urban waste into moments of beauty, laughter, and thought.
