Most people don't look for art pieces in dumpsters. And most art shows don't display the weirdness found there.
But Mark Bloom and Steve Purdy, curators of "Tales from the Trash" are not most people.
Their love for the weird and unusual leads to annual art shows unlike any other.
You'll have a chance to see for yourself on Saturday at "The Year's Strangest Art Show" hosted and curated by Bloom and Purdy.
Rather than seeking out perfectly executed masterpieces from pros, they look to thrift stores, yard sales, swap meets and dumpsters, giving unloved and discarded art a second chance.
"The Fluffers" is Bloom's favorite painting in the Tales from the Trash collection.
The duo collect art separately and then put their collections together for an annual fall show in Tucson and a spring show in Bisbee.
Their partnership was formed between the two when Purdy put on his first show in 2012. Bloom was there and told Purdy he collected the same type of art and suggested they do a show together. Two years later, in 2014, their first joint show took place downtown.
Bloom says the wtf category of Tales from the Trash is the BEST category. "Heads in a Box" is classified as wtf.
"'Way too much fun for me to wait another year to do again' was my immediate post-show reaction," Bloom said. "I then suggested Bisbee as a suitable place to do another show and in the spring of 2015 we did our first show there. We've done annual Tucson fall and Bisbee spring shows ever since."
Around 300 pieces will be hanging in the fall show and will all be for sale, with the exception of 10-15 paintings which make up the permanent collection. Prices range from $8 to $100.
You'll find paintings in all genres including people, nudes, abstract, animals, western, landscapes, fantasy, wtf (our favorite category) and more.
"I guess both of us were inspired by a love of the weird and unusual and a previously unrealized desire to share that love," Bloom said. "We're established enough among those that have experienced our shows that the first hour or so is usually like Black Friday at Best Buy, only it's weird art instead of blu-ray players. And it's pretty amazing. It genuinely makes me so incredibly happy that people really seem to get so much enjoyment from our little corner of weird."
Show details
What: The Year's Strangest Art Show
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Where: Iron Horse Fabricators, 503 E. Ninth Street
Cost: Free admission. Art prices range from $8 to $100
Info: Click here for the event page and here for the website or search #talesfromthetrash on Instagram
