The Art of Gum

Ben Wilson is an English urban artist who roams the streets of London looking for pieces of old chewing gum to turn into little works of art. Wearing a paint splattered coat and carrying his paint kit, he first heats up the gum and then applies lacquer to prepare the surface. He paints his own designs, but also has been commissioned by the Royal Society of Chemistry to paint 118 pieces, each one for the known elements. He has painted around 8,000 pieces of gum, and still counting.