Chewing Gum Art

Chewing gum art is really easy to understand. It's basically art from chewing gum. Or bubble gum. Any of those sticky things will do. While there are many varieties and types of chewing gum art (2D, 3D, large, or small), there are a few features that are universal.

1. The gum (regular chewing gum or bubble gum) has been chewed.
2. The artist works directly with the gum.
3. It's fascinating artwork that, well, isn't very common.
4. Not just a collection of chewed gum.

Chewing gum art typically starts with someone chewing gum. Usually, a lot of gum. You'll see that two of the artists presented here don't use any other coloring. Instead, they use the "natural" color of flavored gum. If they want to mix colors, they'll have people chew different combinations of different types of gum. (Some of these artists don't really like to chew gum, understandably.) Then the ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum is molded or shaped into a colored patch or shape for the final artwork. Artwork can be preserved with a little varnish or some other surface finisher.

Ben Wilson is a London based artist who, since 2004, has been beautifying the city by painting small drawings on sidewalk gum. It's said that at any moment, there's about 300,000 pieces of gum stuck to the sidewalk on Oxford Street. People just spit them out, and once stuck, they are very difficult to remove and clean up. However, this doesn't faze Ben Wilson. He gets on his hands and knees, pulls out his acrylics, and paints a miniature scene on each of them.

Ben Wilson says, "I'm not defacing the pavement, it is more sensitive than that. I don't want to get in people's faces I'm not a graffiti artist. You get so many reactions from people, their reactions are so different, but rarely are they negative."

Jason Kronenwald hails from Ancaster, Ontario, Canada and graduated from King's University. He currently resides in Toronto and spends countless hours making chewing gum art. His first gum artwork was produced in 1996, and from that, he is most well known for his gum celebrity portraits series entitled "Gum Blondes." Each portrait is made of gum on plywood, which is then covered with an epoxy resin to preserve it. Portraits have sold for $1000 to $2500, though Jason keeps his day job as an interior designer.

LE Gallery states, "Each Gum Blonde is 100% chewed Bubblegum on a plywood backing. No paint or dye is used. The colour is inherent to the gum-the mixing of colour takes place inside the mouth during chewing. Kronenwald has a dedicated team of chewers and prefers the texture of Trident. However, he does not chew gum himself unless he must." Jason Kronenwald also says, "At times it can disgust me but I just focus on the colours I need and get the portrait going."

Who are his Gum Blondes? Hillary Clinton, Avril Lavigne, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Princess Diana, Madonna, Twiggy, and more!

His artwork was on display at LE Gallery in Summer 2008.

Original Image

Jamie Marraccini is not an artist by training. In fact, he was an electrical engineering student, then a medical student training for pediatrics or family practice when he went big into his gum obsession. Jamie's art is characterized by bright and vivid colors, but this is by no accident. In fact, Jamie Marraccini takes a scientific approach when choosing his gum, testing new gum or letting them "age" for six months in order to see what the final color will be. He also notes that textures can be different and some hold up better than others.

In his own words, "Over the years I've jawed most of what the world has to offer, I believe gum is a smile waiting to be given away, and I've created 30 works totaling more than 35,000 pieces of gum. I've now come to the realization that the gum justifies the art. The fun is in the chewing and the art is an expression of the fun. Just remember, gum is not chewed for health or sustenance. People chew gum for pleasure. It is in that spirit that GumArt exists, and I am a spreader of gum."

Jamie Marraccini has also developed Chew-by-Numbers, a gum art kit for kids.

Original Image

Maurizio Savini is an Italian sculptor known for his fiberglass and pink gum art. Rather than making gum "paintings," he specializes in three-dimensional work that really brings out the original texture of the gum. He preserves the pink color, so he doesn't tend to mix the gum with other gums. He also doesn't use his gum all chewed up. Perhaps saves him a lot of energy there. Definitely take a look at his interesting sculptures.