One of London’s greatest living artists’ work can’t be found in any art gallery but rather on the pavements, and particularly one London bridge.
Have you ever noticed the hundreds of tiny works of art on the Millennium Bridge? They are the work of Ben Wilson, an ‘outsider artist’ who paints the chewing gum stuck to the bridge.
Ben, who calls himself Chewing Gum Man, has been diligently lying on the bridge with his paint and brushes for over a decade now, turning discarded trash into beautiful miniature art pieces.
Ben is London’s Pavement Picasso, a truly unique Londoner who has turned thousands of blobs of chewing gum into exquisite pieces of art.
Ben’s art bypasses bureaucracy and the controlled spaces of galleries, but it’s got him into trouble with the police in the past. In fact he’s not actually defacing private property, just painting rubbish, so he’s not breaking the law.
First he melts the chewing gum with a small blow torch, then he shapes it to the desired size, sprays it with lacquer and heats it up again to transform it into a solid disc. Look out for them next time you cross the river.
The Birth of the Idea
Wilson’s journey into the world of chewing gum art began in the early 2000s. As he walked through London, he started noticing the discarded pieces of gum stuck to the pavement. To many, chewing gum on the streets is a nuisance, something to be avoided or cleaned up. But to Wilson, these gum stains presented an unusual canvas—a medium with which he could engage the public in a new way. In 2004, he began painting on them, not with the intention of creating something high-brow or academic, but rather to add an element of beauty and creativity to a typically mundane part of the urban landscape.
“The gum is everywhere, it’s part of the street. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to work with it,” Wilson explained in an interview with The Guardian. “It’s almost like a rebellion against the way art is usually presented. You’re used to seeing art in galleries or museums, but I’m using something that’s been thrown away.”
This shift in perspective is one of the core principles of Wilson’s work: to reframe how we see and interact with the spaces around us. By transforming these everyday materials into art, he questions our ideas of value, impermanence, and the sanctity of traditional art spaces.
Techniques and Themes
Wilson’s paintings on chewing gum are no ordinary street art. They are intricate, detailed, and surprisingly vibrant. His subjects range from detailed landscapes and portraits to abstract compositions, often incorporating humor and personal messages. Using tiny brushes and specialized paints, Wilson works painstakingly on each piece, carefully adding layers of detail to create lifelike depictions on these tiny surfaces.
In a 2012 interview with BBC News, Wilson explained, “It’s a strange surface to paint on, but that’s part of the appeal. The gum isn’t flat; it’s slightly uneven, and the paint doesn’t always sit the way you want it to, so there’s a lot of trial and error involved. It requires patience, but that’s what makes it so satisfying.”
The artist has developed his own unique process, where he begins by cleaning the surface of the gum before applying base layers of paint. Then, with the use of ultra-fine brushes, he gradually builds up detail, sometimes over weeks or months. Wilson’s gum paintings are often inspired by nature, history, and mythology, though he also creates more personal works, including tributes to his own experiences and emotions.
Many of his pieces are tiny portraits of animals or scenes from the natural world, and they reveal his skill in capturing delicate details, such as the texture of fur or the intensity in a bird’s eye. Some works feature vibrant depictions of flowers or famous faces, often rendered in a hyper-realistic style. These compositions stand in stark contrast to their surroundings, offering a moment of beauty and surprise in an otherwise ordinary or dirty urban environment.
A Controversial Art Form
Despite the creativity involved, Wilson’s chewing gum art has not been universally embraced. Street art is often a polarizing subject, and Wilson’s work is no exception. While some see his transformation of discarded gum as a form of innovative public art, others view it as a form of vandalism. The issue of whether chewing gum should be considered an acceptable canvas has sparked considerable debate.
Wilson himself is aware of the controversy surrounding his art, but he remains steadfast in his belief that it is, in its own way, a celebration of the urban environment. In his Guardian interview, he remarked, “People are quick to criticize art in the streets, but art doesn’t have to be confined to museums. It’s about creating something that resonates with people where they are—on their daily walks, on their commutes.”
He has also said that he views his art as a way of reclaiming and repurposing what is often seen as waste: “If you see gum stuck on the pavement, it’s typically something you want to avoid or get rid of. But what if you could use it as a medium to make people think differently about that space?”
Wilson’s art challenges the way we think about public spaces and what is considered valuable or worthy of attention. The gum, like the art, is temporary, and its eventual decay is inevitable. He says that the impermanence of his work reflects the fleeting nature of life itself.
Recognition and Legacy
Although his work is often hidden in plain sight, Wilson’s impact on the art world has been profound. He has attracted the attention of galleries, museums, and art collectors who appreciate his innovative approach to urban art. His gum paintings have been showcased in exhibitions, including one at the London Contemporary Art Gallery in 2012.
Wilson has become something of a local hero in London. His gum art, scattered across various locations, is often rediscovered by passersby, who are charmed by the miniature masterpieces. For many, Wilson’s work serves as a gentle reminder to slow down, appreciate the overlooked, and see beauty in the unlikeliest of places.