6/27/2006: Gumball-coated Hummer

Undertoad · 06-27-2006, 11:55 AM

via Neatorama. Brianna asked for a food-related IotD, and while that's a typical IotD category, another category we wander into is edgy art. That makes this an irresistable "two-fer", and it becomes the image of the day.

The artist in this case is Heidi Hesse, and these images come from her installation "Sugar Coated" from the collection "Exporting Liberty". Hesse's website gives her artist's statement:

Quote:

"Heidi Hesse was born in Germany, grew up in South Africa and Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1982. Recently, Hesse began to investigate and contemplate the meaning and possibility of U. S. citizenship. She, as many an earnest emigre pursuing the American Dream has done before her, began to read the documents and stories associated with the founding of the United States of America. Through her investigations, Hesse began to identify a significant gap between the rhetoric of liberty embedded in our documents and our practice of ’exporting liberty’ throughout the world.

Exporting Liberty is an examination of citizenship and its attendant responsibility. It is both a celebration of freedom and a critique of excess, an homage to democracy, and a warning that the comfort borne of privilege can breed a dangerous apathy... Welcome to America. Would you like to supersize that?"

I suppose that's one way to think of it; another way is Welcome to America, where you can get paid to put gumballs on a Hummer and it turns out to be a critique, not a symbol of excess.

Enh. I'm not really skeptical about this work, I like it. It brings together the colorful sugary joy of childhood with the seriousness of combat. You want to taste it and enjoy it for the gumballs, but by its shape you're reminded of the very adult current events. The dichotomy is terrifying.

Shawnee123 · 06-27-2006, 11:59 AM

Thanks for the gumball, Mickey!

Emrikol · 06-27-2006, 12:47 PM

I can't wait til it rains! Such a mess!

Elspode · 06-27-2006, 12:57 PM

It would have been better if she'd added a .50 caliber gumball gun. You could use it in parades to shoot gumballs into the mouths of admiring children.

Elspode · 06-27-2006, 12:58 PM

Also, as an afterthought...will this be entered in the Gumball Rally this year?

glatt · 06-27-2006, 01:29 PM

When I see art like this, I look at it and wonder what technique was used to do it. I assumed at first that a hot-glue gun was used. I was wrong. I see in the close-up images that screening is holding the balls in place. I'm wondering if she made panels of gumballs and applied entire panels, or if it was done some other way. Maybe attached screening while leaving a gap between it and the body panel, then pouring the gumballs in? Nah. Must be panels.

I don't think the artist wants me to be thinking things like this when I see the work. I guess I mostly don't get some art.

LabRat · 06-27-2006, 01:45 PM

eh.

I'd be more impressed if she chewed each one of the gumballs, blew a bubble, then put the intact bubbles on the hummer. Could represent all the hot air that was used to justify going to war.

Building a cage and filling it up with candy, bah. What happened to sacrificing for your art?

xoxoxoBruce · 06-27-2006, 02:29 PM

Hmm....Heidi Flesse? Heidi Fleiss?
Screwing the public for money?

Promenea · 06-27-2006, 03:12 PM

HumVs are expensive. I wonder if she got the thing as a donation or if there really isn't a humV under all that gum but just the cage.

wolf · 06-27-2006, 04:35 PM

I know I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's not art.

Shameless self-promotion, yeah, but not art.

Trilby · 06-27-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

It would have been better if she'd added a .50 caliber gumball gun. You could use it in parades to shoot gumballs into the mouths of admiring children.

I agree. That would be so freakin' cool!

Thanks, UT!

mcnugget91 · 06-27-2006, 05:15 PM

If someone guesses how many gumballs were used, will they win the hummer?

xoxoxoBruce · 06-27-2006, 06:38 PM

Welcome to the Cellar mcnugget91.

I suspect she's already found some Phoenix art connoisseur to buy it.

milkfish · 06-28-2006, 06:38 AM

That would be good chicken-fried.

heidihesse · 07-12-2006, 06:48 PM

Hi, i just came across your list and was LOL about some of the comments written about my art work

the most FAQs are -- (and to answer "glatt's questions)
1)
where did i get the HumVee? -- there is NOT a real one under there... this scultpure was created from scratch... we welded a metal frame, which holds the wire mesh body panels, which hold the gum balls. the gum balls were indeed filled into the panels from the inside.
2) how many gum balls? lllllots!
3) to answer "xoxoxoBruce" -- it is available for indoor only display

i'll be posting images of new "camouflage works" in the next few days...
Heidi Hesse
www.heidihesse.com

06-27-2006, 11:59 AM	#2
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Thanks for the gumball, Mickey! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

06-27-2006, 12:57 PM	#4
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	It would have been better if she'd added a .50 caliber gumball gun. You could use it in parades to shoot gumballs into the mouths of admiring children. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

06-27-2006, 12:58 PM	#5
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Also, as an afterthought...will this be entered in the Gumball Rally this year? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

06-27-2006, 01:45 PM	#7
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	eh. I'd be more impressed if she chewed each one of the gumballs, blew a bubble, then put the intact bubbles on the hummer. Could represent all the hot air that was used to justify going to war. Building a cage and filling it up with candy, bah. What happened to sacrificing for your art? __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within.

06-27-2006, 02:29 PM	#8
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Hmm....Heidi Flesse? Heidi Fleiss? Screwing the public for money? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-27-2006, 12:47 PM	#3
Emrikol Compatriot-at-Arms Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 107	I can't wait til it rains! Such a mess!

06-27-2006, 01:29 PM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	When I see art like this, I look at it and wonder what technique was used to do it. I assumed at first that a hot-glue gun was used. I was wrong. I see in the close-up images that screening is holding the balls in place. I'm wondering if she made panels of gumballs and applied entire panels, or if it was done some other way. Maybe attached screening while leaving a gap between it and the body panel, then pouring the gumballs in? Nah. Must be panels. I don't think the artist wants me to be thinking things like this when I see the work. I guess I mostly don't get some art.

06-27-2006, 03:12 PM	#9
Promenea Resident President Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 86	HumVs are expensive. I wonder if she got the thing as a donation or if there really isn't a humV under all that gum but just the cage.

06-27-2006, 04:35 PM	#10
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I know I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's not art. Shameless self-promotion, yeah, but not art. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-27-2006, 05:15 PM	#12
mcnugget91 Provocateur Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9	If someone guesses how many gumballs were used, will they win the hummer? __________________

06-27-2006, 06:38 PM	#13
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Welcome to the Cellar mcnugget91. I suspect she's already found some Phoenix art connoisseur to buy it. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-28-2006, 06:38 AM	#14
milkfish A serene breakdown Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern NJ, USA Posts: 266	That would be good chicken-fried.

07-12-2006, 06:48 PM	#15
heidihesse Kinda New Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1	"Sugar Coated" gumball HumVee Hi, i just came across your list and was LOL about some of the comments written about my art work the most FAQs are -- (and to answer "glatt's questions) 1) where did i get the HumVee? -- there is NOT a real one under there... this scultpure was created from scratch... we welded a metal frame, which holds the wire mesh body panels, which hold the gum balls. the gum balls were indeed filled into the panels from the inside. 2) how many gum balls? lllllots! 3) to answer "xoxoxoBruce" -- it is available for indoor only display i'll be posting images of new "camouflage works" in the next few days... Heidi Hesse www.heidihesse.com

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