Binoto project

Oboe’s mammoth project continues. “I did feel I had bitten off more than I could chew”, she said, “And for a while I felt I could never take a photo of every bin in the world. But now I am reenthused. Look out for me taking a picture of a bin near you.”

Art critic Penelope St Jean writes…

This project by Oboe Ngua is one of those series of works that should be mentioned in the same breath as Rembrandt’s portraits, Michelangelo’s ceilings and even Billy Whaler’s epic paintings of asparagus spears from Suffolk allotments.

This particular photo is a classic of the series, an image where the ethereal beauty of the bin, qua bin, meticulously sits in an empty road, showing the links between human creativity and rubbish – trash to our North American friends. When you understand the aims of Oboe, this work is truly awe inspiring. I am certain that in the future – as long as a far-sighted museum purchases an entire edition –  more people will visit and enjoy these bin photos than will visit the Sistine Chapel.

’But it’s just a picture of a bin,’ I have heard people say. What reductive madness makes people spout such nonsense. This is not just a bin, this is the classic, perfect, proto-bin, the bin of the people. This image shouts to us about the failings of democracy and the pained panic of so many 21st century endeavours. Any museum who doesn’t have this bin picture – or another from the series – on their walls asap, reveals themselves to be, in my opinion, not a serious gallery and I would advise boycotting them until they have a Binoto work in their collection.

“Friends, I have sad news to convey regarding my fine art project ‘All the Bins in the World,’ which has often been referred to in the media as the Binoto Project (a portmanteau of bin and photo). I was too optimistic when I calculated how many photos I could take in a day. Rather than 200, I can realistically only photograph 20 bins per day. By my calculations, at that rate it would take until I am 97 to photograph even all the bins in Europe.

“I know this is sad news for all those Collectors around the world who were hoping to buy one of my photos of their local bin. To them I apologise and say this. If you really want me to take a picture of your bin then get in touch. You have been wonderfully supportive and I want to help you out with a binoto.

“Otherwise, although the scope of the project is narrower than planned, I will be continuing snapping photos of bins in England. Next week I will be in Bath, if you see me do say hi.”