The project, begun in 2010, brings two key critical observations to our attention:
1. our wasteful society: the landfills laden with non degradable tires,
2. and a population that in the artist’s own words “can’t go 20 minutes without outside stimulus like a sugary candy or checking an iPhone”

The original People Feeder sculptures from 2010 used real truck and car tires, stacked one on top of the other, creating dystopian totems, with tread patterns articulated in white house paint to create the world’s largest candy dishes, catering to this constant need for stimulation whilst bringing their relentless cumulation to our attention. With these totems of consumption, Pruitt also pays homage to Alan Kaprow’s iconic 1961 Yard. This happening – or intrusion – consisted in filling a New York City gallery backyard with more than one thousand used tires, forcing visitors to meander uncomfortably among their cumbersome presence.

Today, Pruitt’s edition of People Feeder mugs commemorates this earlier work, scaling it back to true candy dish proportions. Pushing his reflection on utility and obsolescence one step further, Pruitt’s 2023 mugs are as multifunctional as they are empty – devoid of use: filled alternatively with brushes, coffee, tools or candy, they can serve multiple purposes, whilst still harkening back to the artist’s initial concern with our wasteful reality.

An edition of 20, Pruitt’s hand-painted People Feeders are presented at MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique in Paris on the occasion of the artist’s first solo exhibition in the gallery.