RECENT Sydney College of the Arts graduate Emilio Cresciani is exhibiting his close-up photos of waste — cars, bottles, TVs, mattresses, wires and the other detritus of our modern consumer lifestyle — in Manuka from Thursday.

“As I visited waste centres, tips and landfills I was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of rubbish that we generate,” Cresciani says. “But I also found beauty— the dense patterns, textures and colours of rubbish, sorted according to type, is both intriguing and attractive.”

By inverting his  images Cresciani intends to emphasise the negative side or consequence of consumerism.

“As an x-ray points out the weakness or disease in our body, so these photos expose our waste as being a shameful side of our lifestyle,” he comments.

Cresciani, who was was a finalist in the 2010 National Youth Self Portrait competition at the National Portrait Gallery, has printed his works on the metallic paper used in glossy advertising, thus linking the wasted products back to consumerism.

“Remains of the Day,” is at PhotoAccess Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre, June 13 – 30,  10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday to Friday; noon  to 4pm on weekends. Opening 6pm Thursday June 13 by photographer Joseph Cali, all welcome.