Quirky Charm of Amboy’s Trash Tree Statue | Wall Art
In this photograph, I am confronted with an unexpected sight—a tree adorned with discarded items, a ‘Trash Tree’ in Amboy, a quiet speck on the map along the historic Route 66. It’s a quirky charm, a statement piece that stands out starkly against the vast, arid landscape of the American Southwest. The sky is a clear, piercing blue, stretching endlessly above a horizon that seems to whisper tales of bygone travelers.
The ground is barren, and the tree, devoid of leaves, seems to bristle with the weight of its unusual decorations. Each item hung on its branches—a melange of what some might call junk—tells a story, a relic of human presence in this desolate place. From shoes to bottles, each object has been transformed from trash to treasure, collectively taking on a new identity as part of this makeshift monument.
This statue, a creation born of human whimsy and desert solitude, speaks to the resourcefulness and humor that can be found even in the most unexpected places. Amboy itself, once a thriving stopover along Route 66, now has a ghost town’s quietness, with remnants of mid-20th-century America etched into its few surviving structures.
As I captured this image, I marveled at how something so ordinary could be repurposed into a landmark. This photograph isn’t just about a tree; it’s a commentary on culture, creativity, and the marks we leave on the world. The Trash Tree of Amboy stands as a testament to the oddities that punctuate the vastness of the American landscape, a quirky symbol of the region’s spirit.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2022
