Audrey Waner

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This is a series of three fiber collage pieces depicting iconic views of Tucson

Three Sisters: 

There’s an empty lot near the office where I used to work, and it always had a different congregation of abandoned shopping carts in it. Every time I drove past, I would check to see how they’d moved or changed.

Sometimes there was just one, sometimes there were 5 or 6 identical ones. But this time, there were three different carts, all arranged to face the road in the same direction. They had a weird sort of personality. Watching them move and change almost felt like observing a pack of neighborhood wildlife.

The sight stuck with me as a really honest, candid view of Tucson. I appreciate how unmanicured the neighborhood is, compared to the sterile retirement communities where my grandparents live in Phoenix. The emptiness of the lot, the width of the sky, and everything underneath it bleaching in the sun creates a miniature

of the desert we live in as a whole. In the heat of the day it looks almost lifeless, but looking closer you can see traces of a bustling community moving through the space.

Brake Masters: 

This piece is based on a photo I took outside the Brake Masters on Speedway one night, after having my car towed there. It was around midnight, so the Brake Masters was closed, but the strip club next door was bumping. A taco truck was hanging out in the mechanic's parking lot to take advantage of the business from next door. I felt like I was witnessing an iconic Tucson image, so I snapped a picture. 

Polar Pop (Desert Trash): 

The Polar Pop cups from Circle K are representative of Tucson to me in that they're super accessible because they're so cheap - only 79 cents! - and everybody in the desert is thirsty and dehydrated all the time. So you see them everywhere - whether it's on a billboard, or in someone's hand as they're walking down the street, or tossed in the gutter. But it's also a little sad to me, because 44 ounces of soda is not really hydrating or good for you, it's just the easiest thing to get a hold of that quenches that desire for a moment. And they're made of un-recyclable styrofoam that will never biodegrade - but hey, at least it keeps your drink cold longer.

But because these products are so easily accessible, people keep consuming them, and they keep being made. It could be better, but it's such a small issue in most people's minds that the convenience factor ensures it'll endure for years to come. And that's a theme in a lot of my scenes of Tucson: ""It's not perfect, and in fact can be sort of gross if you ruminate on it too long - but despite it all, this is the way of living we've found that works for us."" It's a little absurd, a little exhausting, and sometimes it makes you long for something better - but mostly, it's just everyday life.

Website: https://linktr.ee/audreywaner 
Email: audreywaner@gmail.com
Instagram: @audrey.waner