Le Chewing Gum Peintre

The title says it all: Le Chewing Gum Peintre. This painting is made with …. chewing gum! It was created in 1970.

The chewing gum is from the brand Wrigley. William Wrigley's launched the brand in 1893. Now Wrigley is incorporated with Mars, a globally operating company that sell sweets, food, pet food, and of course Mars chocolate bars.

In the 1960s, the artist Francois joined the Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel an experimental group that made installations using non-traditional art materials. ‘By the early Sixties, we became convinced that the age of painting, of canvases and sculptures had come to an end. We were passionate about modern materials that hadn’t yet been ‘polluted’ by traditional art.’

Do you see the white and creamy cake of Michael Stubbs just above this one? He made this cake painting as a reaction to the thought that painting was dead.

Want to know more about this work of art? Start a conversation with one of our employees or a visitor. They will be happy to share their knowledge and thoughts on this object. And to hear yours of course!