Maurizio Savini is an Italian artist who creates sculptures out of thousands of pieces of chewed gum. He fixes the gum sculptures together with formaldehyde and antibiotics, and is able to manipulate and cut the gum like clay. Savini's gum sculptures have been shown in galleries and museums worldwide, and can sell for up to $60,000. The artist finds gum to be a versatile material for art, seeking to give chewed gum more dignity and status than just trash.

1. Bubble Gum as Art
~Gum sculptures~
Seeing Gum in a whole new way!
All Art by Maurizio Savini

2. As a child, I always found the bright colors of a gum ball to most alluring.
Especially for only a few coins and a bit of whining to my mom in the
middle of the food court at the mall. Every time, I would be disappointed
after about 10 minutes, the gum would lose flavor, color. I thought how
worthless.

3. I would just be left with a sugar rush and my mom with a hyper child that
wanted nothing more but an endless gumball machine of her own, which
would be added to the Christmas list every year with the Bob Ross Paint
Set.

4. I would even hope for an endless gobstopper, like the movie Willy Wonka
& The Chocolate Factory promised. I was a child who in all accounts
could relate to the main actor, who was a child from a poor family. A
gumball or other bits of candy were special treats that only happened
when I was “Good”

5. The every day objects that we see as easily dispensable, like a piece of
chewing gum can be turned into something more. As shown by Artist
Marizio Savini. A 39 year old, Italian Artist who has been creating these
masterpieces for the last 10 years.

6. As you can Imagine my surprise when I found this artist in researching
gum and its amazing uses, from catfish bait to helping recover from
Colon Resection Surgery. The way each piece of gum was used in the
symphony of many ignited the wonder of a child.

7. The artist’s name is Maurizio Savini. Maurizio takes thousands of pieces
of chewed gum, fixes the sculpture with formaldehyde and antibiotics
and can turn it into something like this to be sold for up to $60,000.

8. It may not be the most popular choice, however unusual, it is quite
versatile. Maurizio can easily manipulate and cut the gum and form it
into art, just like clay.

9. Despite critics and those alike. This has become an established art form,
and why not? I can see future children’s books build around the
characters made of gum and the worlds they traverse. Additionally, this
art could be seen in hotels, museums and galleries all over the world, just
like blown glass art, but just a touch more delicious and fragrant.

10. To The Telegraph, the artist based in Rome, said: “The reason I like to use chewing
gum is because it seemed to me an amazingly versatile material compared to those
used by the traditional arts such as painting. Despite its history of it belonging to
popular culture, chewing gum does not have a statute of its own within institutional
art. I believe that in my work on this material is redeemed and acquires a capacity
and it has an expressive dignity of its own.”

11. So next time you think of throwing away your used chewing gum,
possibly stuck to the bottom of a desk or out the window of your car, just
think

12. ….you could transform your trash into another man’s treasure.