In 2012, the Oakland-based visual artist Dean Smith set up fuckyeahpilesofdirt.tumblr.com to compile images of dirt piles that he had collected from the web. The criteria being any pile of dirt manmade, photographs of artworks and site-specific earthworks are included alongside dirt mounds found at construction sites, or in rural, residential, or urban settings. Images are posted successively, each on their own against a simple, white backdrop.

Smith is known for his intricate collage and graphite works, but as Tumblr reached its peak popularity in 2013, so did FYPOD—some piles of dirt reaching likes and “re-blog” totals in the hundreds, sometimes thousands. Smith’s Tumblr even made news, one report calling the stream of images “beautiful” and “oddly relaxing.”

Despite Tumblr’s slowed growth and decline in usership, FYPOD remains quietly active, posting new images as they’re harvested, and continues to acquire the occasional new follower, now totaling a little over 7,000 (as of 2025).

Interlude Docs pays homage to the FYPOD project with Doc 135, a simulation of the concept, with thanks to the artist.