French artist Jrmy Laffon utilizes the flexible nature of chewing gum to create intriguing sculptures made solely with the fragile material. The structural composition of each piece relies on thousands of sticks of gum working together to present a three-dimensional figure. Often geometric in their composition, Laffon’s architectural designs offer a variety of interpretations regarding the integrity of gum as a sculpting material.
In some instances the flat, green and white sticks prove to be a viable source of structure. The spearminty towers present a series of sturdy, hypnotizing towers. In his other architectural works, Laffon purposely applies heat to compromise the structure’s strength, allowing it to slump over. The artist also presents an interesting take on “gum on the floor” by creating his own floor installation, making it hard not to get gum on your shoes. His sense of humor extends to the tongue-twisting titles of some of his work (like CHLOROPHNYLALANINOPLASTO MCANOSTRESSRHOLOGODUCTILVIRIDISCA COSMOGRAPHIGUM) which can feel like choking on a pack of gum if you try to pronounce it out loud.
Laffon’s work is currently on display at the Association Limousin Art Contemporain and Sculptures through March 23, 2013.
Jrmy Laffon website
via [CollabCubed, Galerie Isabelle Gounod]