artists use found items to stage elaborate scenography on NYC streets
all images courtesy of justin bettman and gozde eker

 

 

 

on any given day, the streets of new york city are lined with a varied assortment of discarded domestic items, used books, plants, toys and tiles. for local photographer justin bettman and brooklyn-based prop stylist gozde eker, these seemingly random objects became a creative medium in the materialization of elaborate scenes, crafted entirely from unwanted materials they found abandoned on the sidewalks.

 

the residential landscapes they’ve visualized have been choreographed on street corners, avenues and alleyways, bringing interior routines outdoors, to the urban cityscape. set in the street‘ is an ongoing art project and has since seen the realization of four settings in new york, and one in california. bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms are built with wallpaper, tables, posters and assorted props, each which seek to tell the story of the family, couple or single inhabitants that are meant to reside in the spaces.

set in the street: artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
the couple reside in what seems to be a cozy domestic space filled with trinkets

 

 

 

upon each scene’s completion, bettman and eker left the props and furniture untouched, allowing passersby to create their own reality within the crafted setting and upload their visual responses to instagram using the hashtag #setinthestreet.

set in the street: artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
two children inhabit a seemingly suburban residential scene

set in the street: artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
props include paper, found furniture, plants and wall art

set in the street: artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
the interior landscape on the streets of california

artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
the zoomed-in photograph is seemingly snapped in a family’s dining room

artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
a child’s bedroom, built from found materials around new york city

artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
striped wallpaper and a faux-grass expanse encapsulate the scene

artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
a bathroom scene composed on the sidewalk

artists use found items to create elaborate scenography on NYC streets
a close-up view reveals the multitude of props used in the creation of the bathroom scene