The image depicts the hardships and strength of Brazilian trash pickers in a remarkably clever and

appealing format while also challenging the way in which these workers are perceived by Brazilian
society. These trash pickers, known as catadores, are people who are ex-convicts or were homeless and
unemployed and therefore had little opportunity in their lives. Muniz’s modus operandi is to create such
a strong disjuncture between the figure and the material (usually a material with base associations, such
as chocolate or black beans) that this bifurcation is always in play.