Bubble gum as art

Bubble Gum as Art

~Gum sculptures~Seeing Gum in a whole new way!

All Art by Maurizio Savini

As a child, I always found the bright colors of a gum ball to most alluring. Especially for only a few coins and a bit of whining to my mom in the middle of the food court at the mall. Every time, I would be disappointed after about 10 minutes, the gum would lose flavor, color. I thought how worthless.

I would just be left with a sugar rush and my mom with a hyper child that wanted nothing more but an endless gumball machine of her own, which would be added to the Christmas list every year with the Bob Ross Paint Set.

I would even hope for an endless gobstopper, like the movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory promised. I was a child who in all accounts could relate to the main actor, who was a child from a poor family. A gumball or other bits of candy were special treats that only happened when I was “Good”

The every day objects that we see as easily dispensable, like a piece of chewing gum can be turned into something more. As shown by Artist Marizio Savini. A 39 year old, Italian Artist who has been creating these masterpieces for the last 10 years.

As you can Imagine my surprise when I found this artist in researching gum and its amazing uses, from catfish bait to helping recover from Colon Resection Surgery. The way each piece of gum was used in the symphony of many ignited the wonder of a child.

The artist’s name is Maurizio Savini. Maurizio takes thousands of pieces of chewed gum, fixes the sculpture with formaldehyde and antibiotics and can turn it into something like this to be sold for up to $60,000.

It may not be the most popular choice, however unusual, it is quite versatile. Maurizio can easily manipulate and cut the gum and form it into art, just like clay.

Despite critics and those alike. This has become an established art form, and why not? I can see future children’s books build around the characters made of gum and the worlds they traverse. Additionally, this art could be seen in hotels, museums and galleries all over the world, just like blown glass art, but just a touch more delicious and fragrant.

To The Telegraph, the artist based in Rome, said: “The reason I like to use chewing gum is because it seemed to me an amazingly versatile material compared to those used by the traditional arts such as painting. Despite its history of it belonging to popular culture, chewing gum does not have a statute of its own within institutional art. I believe that in my work on this material is redeemed and acquires a capacity and it has an expressive dignity of its own.”

So next time you think of throwing away your used chewing gum, possibly stuck to the bottom of a desk or out the window of your car, just think

….you could transform your trash into another man’s treasure.