London’s Ben Wilson painting on chewing gum on the streets is also a masterpiece. Photo: Courtesy of MetroVIKE
London: London-based Ben Wilson is an industrious artist who has been painting on discarded objects, including chewing gum, for the past 19 years.
They appear near the Millennium Bridge and sometimes paint on the chewing gum stuck to the ground. For this, they first heat the chewing gum with a burner and stretch it into a canvas. They are seen painting on chewing gum of all sizes and shapes.
They continue to do their work by the roadside but very few passers-by can see their work as the tiny paintings require stopping and bending down to see them. But once you look at them, the hidden beauty and details begin to emerge.
Ben Wilson also paints on pieces of broken tiles, which is also an example of micropainting. Similarly, after painting, they leave the object in its original place and it becomes a part of it. They want people to stop and feel the beauty beneath their feet.
But painting sticking to roads, footpaths and walls is a difficult task. The London administration has cleared hundreds of his paintings. However, hundreds of his works can still be seen near the Millennium Bridge.
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