Photo: YouTube
For those who like their kitsch with a bit of a crunch, we give you: Rachael Ray in Cheetos.
In case you missed it, Wednesday's episode of Ray's show marked the unveiling of a larger-than-life-size portrait of the Emmy-winning celebrity chef made entirely from the trademarked cheese puffs. The picture was the handiwork of Colorado Springs-based artist Jason Baalman, whose artistic oeuvre also includes velvet portraits of Elvis done in cheese-puff dust and the Mona Lisa entirely in ketchup.
This is not Baalman's first celebrity tribute in Cheetos. He made one of Conan O'Brien last year, but before he could hand it over to the late-night host on the air, O'Brien was booted off "The Tonight Show."
Baalman uses between 40 and 50 bags of Cheetos for the portraits. The different flavors are what account for the color variations, from mild white cheddar to the preternaturally blazing red-orange of "Flaming Hot." He has to separate hundred of Cheetos by size and shape before he begins and spends hours gluing them down in layers.
Amazingly, he appears rail thin.
Baalman has talent, to be sure, but it's one that even the target of his artistic affections seemed to have a little trouble appreciating. As the portrait is revealed, Ray exclaims (predictably): "I love being this cheesy!" But her expression upon seeing her face the size of a bus ad covered in processed cheese dust seems as forced as a woman opening a package of sweat socks on Valentine's Day.
Cheesy, indeed.
7-30-2010 @7:25AM Debbie said... This really is a cool piece of art! I'm always amazed with how creative people are.
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7-30-2010 @4:56PM alfredschrader said... Take cheetoz & dip them half way into melted chocolate & set on a pan to cool.
Is like sweet & savory at the same time.
7-30-2010 @9:55AM BTDT said... Pretty impressive.
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7-30-2010 @1:04PM hahahaha said... I'd eat that!
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7-30-2010 @10:29AM lhvpc said... ?
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7-30-2010 @11:13AM Alexandra_Covington said... This is a piece (!) of good and entertaining news - for once. It reminds me of the old "typewriter art", that used to amaze and delight, (and still does, if you check it out on places like "Google Images").
By the way....coes anyone know why the "cents" sign, (which looks like a small-case "c" with a vertical line down the center), is NOT on any computer, (that I've seen, anyway)? I'm looking forward to "food art" made of Terra Potato Chips, (which I prefer to Cheetos, and which I suspect are healthier, too.) The wide variety of Terra Potato Chips should give lots of texture and colour choices to aspiring Potato Chip artists!
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7-30-2010 @7:49PM pnut166 said... "Amazingly, he appears rail thin." >>>That`s cause he uses all of his groceries for artwork. Make it an 8x10 next time and put on a few pounds, dude.
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7-30-2010 @11:44AM Alexandra_Covington said... After watching this delightful tribute to Rachel Ray, I thought of another lady whom I admire -- Princess Alexandra of Denmark, wife and consort of Edward VII, (or was it George V?) In any event, this seems to have put tags like "cheetos" onto this video of Queen Alexandra -- incongruous , to say the least! (I did NOT put them there....they just appeared!) Queen Alexandra - who lived from 1844 - 1925, must have seen many changes in her lifetime, and I guess one change that has happened, today, is the use of Cheetos as art materials, so that COULD be construed as a connection -- of sorts. Also, Queen Alexandra, (shown with a camera in the latter part of this video), DID take numerous photographs -- a book has even been compiled of them, and so the "art" part of "Cheetos art", fits here, too, I guess. Also, the use(s) to which Cheetos have been put, (snacks....recipes....now art), can be construed as an evolution and an "inheritance" of sorts. So, too, has Lord Frederick Windsor, a descendant of Queen Alexandra, inherited her beautiful, luminous eyes. So, I have here tried to draw connections between seemingly incongruous taglines for this video on Queen Alexandra, (which, as I mentioned, I myself did NOT add). Totally NO disrespect intended! Hopefully, looking at the beautious and intelligent Queen Alexandra, those who view this video, (and admire Cheetos art), will draw inspiration, to use their OWN talents, and be as gracious, sedate -- yet fun-loving -- as was Queen Alexandra!
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7-30-2010 @12:03PM Cheese Lover said... I'd eat that!!! LOL
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7-30-2010 @2:20PM eduvigest said... Rachel You A A Terrific Girl! enjoy watching your show when i can and is sweal how they do faces w/ food saw the Monalisa, they are Just Fabulous w/ their hands Keep Doing and Going GOD BLESS YOU! by the way the magazine is Great also.
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7-30-2010 @5:15PM CERIDWEN said... I CANNOT AGREE WITH U MORE, THAT VOICE MAKES ME WANT TO BARF. SHE ACTS LIKE A HOUSE WIFE OF THE FIFTIES AND THEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN MARTHA STEWART IS ON
I WOULD LIKE HE TO SLAP HER BACK TO LAST WEEK. SHEEP ARE WHAT YOU ARE
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7-30-2010 @5:42PM Angiebaby said... It's interesting, I'll give it that. But can one really make a living by building portraits of celebs out of cheese puff dust or ketchup? I might be able to tolerate somebody who did this as a hobby, but I just don't see myself getting serious with someone who makes food pictures for income. Once a guy has outgrown making art by glueing macaroni on a cardboard picture frame, that's it for me. If you are my age and give me a macaroni refrigerator magnet as a gift, well... just don't do it, okay? But that would turn out much better for you than if you gave me a velvet portrait of Elvis made of cheese puff dust.
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7-30-2010 @7:47PM Draconian said... Whoa Lita...well put...well worded!!! I voted that one a +!!
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7-30-2010 @8:10PM Draconian said... Ditto!!!!.....
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7-30-2010 @10:00PM Stace said... How cool is that! I love it! The forms of creativity are endless! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!
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7-30-2010 @10:30PM Tardage said... All starving artists should do this. They could eat their paintings and, like, not starve n stuff.
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7-30-2010 @11:57PM Addie said... for the record, almost ANYONE can cook what she cooks!
she's NOT a chef she's a cook.
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7-31-2010 @1:29AM duane cinatl said... rachael is fine and so is the pic
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7-31-2010 @1:57AM lisanie44 said... Wow, Jason Baalman is the most amazing artist ever to produce this type of work. What he does, actually blows the mind by transforming a piece of food into a work of art. He has enormous talent to do something like that. I hope he gets a staring place in a Guinness Books of World Records.
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7-31-2010 @2:54AM WSANTOROMD said... WHY WOULD ANYONE WASTE FIFTY BAGS OF PERFECTLY GOOD (IF SALTY) SNACKS NEEDED BY PEOPLE IN, SAY, HAITI, TO CREATE A "PORTRAIT" OF RACHEL RAY? WHO IS RACHEL RAY, ANYWAY? CAN SHE REALLY COOK, OR ARE ALL OF HER "30-MINUTE" MEALS CONCOCTED FROM PRE-MADE THINGS SHE GETS OFF THE SHELVES OF GROCERY STORES? AND WHY WAS IT THAT WHEN SHE WAS DOING THAT SHOW WHERE SHE DEMONSTRATED SHE COULD EAT IN RESTAURANTS ON FOUR CENTS A DAY THAT NO ONE EVER SAT DOWN TO EAT WITH HER? DOES THAT TELL US SOMETHING? SAVE YOUR CRUMBS, BUDDY. THERE ARE BETTER SUBJECTS TO "PAINT".
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