Jason applies chewed gum to a plywood backing to create his Gum Blonde masterpieces - portraits of blondes made with chewed up gum. According to his bio, Jason doesn't chew gum himself, but has a team who chews the gum for him, with his favorite texture coming from Trident. He does not use paint or dyes, relying on the "inherent" color of the gum, and mixing colors by chewing them.

Pretty impressive, I'd say.

The first North American exhibition of the work of eccentric Brazilian artist Artur Barrio is on display at the Levy Gallery at the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The exhibit, entitled Actions after Actions, features lots and lots of coffee. Over 1400 pounds of roasted and ground espresso fill the almost cave-like gallery space, with grounds covering the floor and what was once liquid splashed upon the walls. The smell of coffee not only permeates the 1,800 square foot gallery, but has spread through much of the school's campus. Some students enjoy the smell, not minding when the craving for a fresh espresso suddenly hits them after inhaling a large breath of air. Others experience headaches and irritation brought on by an inability to rid themselves of the aroma of the grounds after a gallery visit.

The exhibit also includes 250 bottles of wine and 200 loaves of bread, as well as 100 pounds of shellac, an insect secretion that was imported from France. The wine is available for guests to drink, but no drinkable coffee is available at the exhibit. Admission is free and the gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm and weekends from 12 noon to 4pm, if you are in the neighborhood. For directions, see the map or simply follow your nose. The exhibit runs though March 19, 2006.

[Photo by Levy Gallery]

Nir Adar is a food stylist and artist based in New York who has a wonderful website full of interesting and odd food images. I especially like his series of food balls. Basically, he takes different food items—like fried eggs, cereal, or tomatoes—and melds them together into a ball structure. I theorize that at the center of these balls are Styrofoam, and the food items are glued on. Although, I would think some of these items wouldn’t stick very well with glue, like the eggs.