Robert Bittenbender

Narrator: Robert Bittenbender made these sculptures using trash he found in the industrial sections of Long Island City, Queens. He purchased a few components, but he found that the compositions needed a great deal of material. Robert Bittenbender.

Robert Bittenbender: It just made sense to find things. Because of the amount of things I needed to work with for the metabolism to fulfill itself.

Narrator: Bittenbender has explained that using objects he finds on the streets gives him a useful distance on the sculptures.

Robert Bittenbender: I'm in a pace that's kind of beyond my control. I guess it's a way to step out of my own subjectivity. It's not just like, "Oh, I'm making like a mark in this way." It absolves me of just narcissistically trying to express myself. It feels a little beyond me in a healthier way than maybe if I try to strong arm them into certain moods or vibes or gestures.