Down in the Dumps is a public art series by UK-based artist Mark Roberts, aka Markrobla, that features figurative sculptures that look like people stuck in trash cans. Appearing to have dived head first into the public waste bins, the disembodied pair of legs lifelessly dangle in an awkward position leaving one to wonder whether a person has actually wedged themselves deep into a trash receptacle.
Markrobla’s figures, similar to the work of Mark Jenkins, are made out of duct tape and adorned with real clothing to add to the illusion of a real person being caught in a precarious situation. The idea behind his works is to draw attention, perhaps start a conversation, and entertain passersby. The sculptures are both eye-catching enough to bewilder spectators and sufficiently believable to refrain from raising suspicion of their material construction.
