PHIL D. BASKET

Phil D. Basket, originally illustrated by Alphonse Normandia, is a 1960s cartoon character that was created by the Department of Sanitation and the Citizens Committee to Keep New York City Clean as part of an anti-litter campaign to help promote the proper disposal of trash in waste baskets. I became obsessed with the history of this character and found old pamphlets, posters and photographs depicting large scale sculptures of Phil all over the city. Along the way, I found a 16mm film can labeled “Phil D Basket” and promptly digitized it, discovering an amazing animated spot that was used on television in the mid-60s. In it, Phil runs around town with a litter basket catching trash that people toss about the city. This gave inspiration for a video game idea that allows you to be Phil and catch the trash that residents throw out of their apartment windows.

As part of my exhibition SAN TV at the Museum of Moving Image, I collaborated with the education department to design this Phil D. Basket–inspired game. Visitors to the show were able to add to the game by digitally drawing new trash items that would later be inserted. This version went on to get his own specialized arcade cabinet featured in another exhibition, Sign Language, and continues to tour (he is currently in a sanitation employee break room in Queens.) The game is playable online in a desktop version HERE and I am hoping to eventually make a multi-level app for the phone (get in touch if you are interested in helping.) Also get in touch if you would like to rent the arcade machine. Most recently, Phil traveled to Kyrgyzstan with me when I created a local sanitation poster for the Trash Festival in the city of Bishkek.