Chicago Art with an Addictive Quality

“Man turns trash into art with near 9,000 dime bags found in Humboldt Park

Ben Kurstin collected everything from the very small crack bags to the very big for marijuana.  Most bags had some sort of residue in them, whether it be heroin cocaine or marijuana. Occasionally a pill, or a little bit of dust that he assumed was meth or crack.

For nearly two years, the 32-year-old collected up to 8816 bags in 150 designs that would become a collection of art pieces, like an eight foot Richard Nixon comprised of 4,000 bags.  Kurstin made American flags, beautiful mosaics, all subjects tied to the war on drugs.”

Check out the video and the full article HERE