“Photos from 2024 on BSA: Plastic Deli Bags and Musings on Homesickness”
# 2024 Photographs at BSA: Deli Bags and Contemplations on Homesickness
The essence of being human is closely connected to both objects and feelings—two facets of existence that may seem disparate yet intertwine meaningfully in art. In 2024, the Brooklyn Street Art (BSA) community is buzzing with a novel perspective on nostalgia and introspection through an unconventional yet profoundly relatable medium: plastic deli bags. These simple, commonplace items—often linked to takeout meals, sandwiches, or the fast-paced dynamics of city life—are being transformed into deep explorations of homesickness, cultural disconnection, and the quest for belonging.
This emerging artistic trend, aptly represented in the 2024 photographic exhibition “Plastic Deli Bags and Contemplations on Homesickness” presented by the BSA collective, unites an international selection of artists examining memory, displacement, and identity through an unexpected yet impactful lens.
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## **The Plastic Deli Bag as a Creative Canvas**
At first consideration, a plastic deli bag is but an ordinary object, fleeting and nearly invisible amidst its prevalence. Yet for the artists showcased in the BSA exhibit, it symbolizes impermanence and yearning. The plastic bag’s transparency reflects the delicacy of memory, while its role as a carrier of food resonates with themes of nourishment and affection. Through photography, the unassuming deli bag is elevated as a narrative tool for reflecting on homesickness and human relationships.
One notable photo series, for example, features plastic deli bags filled with souvenirs from the artist’s country of origin: wrinkled letters, seashells, spices, or pieces of fabric. The bags, captured against gritty urban landscapes or hanging against overcast skies, evoke the contrast between the comfort of home and the isolation that comes with physical separation. Other creations depict bags adorned with images of homemade dishes or glimpses of distant faces, capturing the bittersweet struggle of preserving one’s heritage while juggling the realities of modern urban existence.
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## **Meditations on Homesickness within the Urban Landscape**
New York City, the origin of Brooklyn Street Art, is a cultural tapestry woven from diverse languages, traditions, and immigrant narratives. Homesickness is almost ingrained in the essence of the city, as myriad individuals navigate dual existences—physically anchored in one locale while spiritually connected to another. The BSA’s 2024 photography exhibit taps into this shared sense of sorrow, offering artists and audiences an emotional release that honors the varied experiences of estrangement and interconnectedness.
For many creators, homesickness extends beyond longing for a physical space to encompass grieving the simplicity and emotional security tied to home. A particularly poignant photograph in the showcase displays deli bags brimming with childhood artifacts—marbles, plastic toys, and handwritten notes—seemingly adrift amid towering skyscrapers. This imagery underscores how urban settings, while dynamic and thrilling, often serve as inadequate replacements for the closeness of one’s origins.
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## **Cultural Critique of Consumerism and Waste**
Alongside evoking emotional responses, the employment of plastic deli bags in art also provides a sharp critique of contemporary consumer culture. Homesickness often arises from cultural disintegration, a consequence of globalization and urbanization that leads to disposable lifestyles. By incorporating plastic bags—a representation of convenience yet also environmental harm—artists contemplate how the frenetic pace of modern life intensifies feelings of disconnection.
One artist, for instance, has fashioned discarded deli bags into a mosaic resembling a vast map of their homeland, reimagining waste as a fundamental material for reconnecting with one’s history. Another piece contrasts overflowing deli bags with imagery of flourishing agricultural landscapes, hinting at how the packaged, rapid-fire world distances people from the natural, slower rhythms of home.
Through their photography, these artists elevate deli bags from mere symbols of waste to powerful reminders of what is sacrificed—not only environmentally but also emotionally—when we leave home in pursuit of progress.
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## **Art and the Healing Power of Nostalgia**
A significant part of the exhibit’s impact lies in its ability to resonate with a collective yearning for home, a feeling that transcends geographical boundaries. Nostalgia, as interpreted by psychologists, is more than just a longing for the past—it can aid individuals in connecting with their identities and deriving significance from their experiences. The photographs showcased in “Plastic Deli Bags and Contemplations on Homesickness” serve as therapeutic instruments, encouraging viewers to reflect on their personal ties to home and experiences of displacement.
Some artists address homesickness with a sense of humor and optimism, incorporating well-known cultural elements into their work. One creation features a deli bag crammed with brightly colored candies, merging the visual style of traditional bodegas with the vibrant hues of childhood fantasies. Another artist intertwines photographs within the deli bags, with each image representing a distinct phase of their journey—suggesting that even if home is distant, fragments of it persist within us wherever we go.