The city is a fluid, expanding archive of surfaces marked by weathering, layering, peeling, construction, destruction, decay. Forms and gestures emerge through rust stains, pasted over posters, stickers scratched away on metal, crumbling stucco, and corroded concrete. Photographing these fragments turns the city into a collection of compositions.

Detritus is a visual similarity search engine that recognizes the artistic integrity of the city’s surface situations by positioning them next to esteemed works of art. It measures relationships among colors, textures, and compositions, revealing shared references between artists and the built environment. Through comparison and recognition, we can embrace the city as an abstract expressionist, a careful collagist, a printmaker etching with time.

The site champions the observant eye of city dwellers who capture and compose overlooked urban moments. It turns the attentive city dweller into a curator by letting everyday observations leak into the realm of the museum. The gallery of user uploaded images can be viewed here.

The dataset of 750 artworks was individually curated by Eliana Szabo with city surfaces in mind.

Thank you, user, for noticing: the potential for beauty in the ordinary, patterns among accidents, the city as full of palimpsests. Your recognition runs this site.