Street art showing a surreal figure smoking with cigarette butts and dropped gum littering the sidewalk in front. (Art © Otto Schade; photo © Sheron Long)

Cigarette butts and gum litter are the bane of London’s walkways. Is there a creative solution?
art © Otto Schade; photo © Sheron Long

Ben Wilson Gives Us Something to Chew On

Gum litter is a problem you step into quite unknowingly. It’s a worldwide issue, but when in London, where 3.5 billion pieces of gum end up as litter every year, chances are you’ll sense the problem up close and personal, like on your shoe.

When this happens, most of us utter an epithet, get out of the sticky situation, and go on our way. But Londoner Ben Wilson, an outsider artist, has a more creative reaction. He transforms the disgusting gum globs into tiny underfoot paintings—spots of color that delight the eye of passersby.

Sidewalk with several gum globs, one of which has been painted by Ben Wilson, a London street artist. (Art © Ben Wilson; photo © Sheron Long)

The prettiest gum glob on the block
art © Ben Wilson; photo © Sheron Long

Two gum splotches side by side, one of which has been painted by street artist Ben Wilson. (Art © Ben Wilson; photo © Sheron Long)

When painted, litter becomes art.
art © Ben Wilson; photo © Sheron Long

Wilson’s street art highlights the problem of gum litter by juxtaposing a thoughtless act with an act of beauty.

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\"Street

Cigarette butts and gum litter are the bane of London’s walkways. Is there a creative solution?
art \u00a9 Otto Schade<\/a><\/span>; photo \u00a9 Sheron Long<\/p><\/div>\n

Ben Wilson Gives Us Something to Chew On<\/h2>\n

Gum litter is a problem you step into quite unknowingly. It’s a worldwide issue, but when in London, where\u00a03.5 billion pieces of gum end up as litter every year, chances are you’ll sense\u00a0the problem up close and personal, like on your shoe.<\/p>\n

When this happens, most of us utter an epithet, get out of the\u00a0sticky situation, and go on our way. But Londoner Ben Wilson, an outsider artist, has\u00a0a more creative reaction. He transforms the disgusting gum globs into tiny underfoot paintings—spots of color that delight the eye of passersby.<\/p>\n

\"Sidewalk<\/a>

The prettiest gum glob on the block
art \u00a9 Ben Wilson; photo \u00a9 Sheron Long<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Two

When painted, litter becomes art.
art \u00a9 Ben Wilson; photo \u00a9 Sheron Long<\/p><\/div>\n

Wilson’s street art highlights the problem of gum litter by juxtaposing\u00a0a thoughtless act with an act of beauty.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Undersized\u00a0Pictures, Oversized\u00a0Commitment<\/h4>\n

Ben Wilson grew up in a family of artists and became a wood sculptor and painter. Dedicated to beautifying the urban environment, he\u00a0got into painting on top of existing ads and billboards. Then he got into trouble with the law.<\/p>\n

In an “Oh, I see” moment<\/strong>, Wilson landed on the idea to paint over gum globs when he realized that he would not be defacing property—after all, the gum had been discarded. And since no one owned the gum, he wouldn’t need a permit to create his miniature masterpieces of street art.<\/p>\n

\"Gum

Room for a London street scene,
a caption, the date, and the artist’s signature—really?
art \u00a9 Ben Wilson; photo \u00a9 Jeanne Gesumaria<\/p><\/div>\n

Wilson works prone to the pavement. First, he heats the gum with a blow torch and then he applies three coats of\u00a0lacquer.\u00a0Using acrylic paints and tiny brushes, Wilson creates the image, drying the paint as he goes. Finally, he seals it with a clear lacquer finish.<\/p>\n

Mostly, a single work of art takes\u00a0two or three\u00a0hours to do, but some take over\u00a0a day.\u00a0To date, Wilson\u00a0has painted more than 10,000 gum globs!<\/p>\n

Ideas and Inspiration<\/h4>\n

Each painting\u00a0needs an inspiration. Wilson relies on spontaneity and whimsy, drawing ideas from the people and places in his\u00a0environment.<\/p>\n

On one glob,\u00a0he may create an intricate scene of street life—Londoners waiting for the tube.<\/p>\n

\"Gum

Just how many people can fit on a gum blob?
art \u00a9 Ben Wilson; photo \u00a9 Sheron Long<\/p><\/div>\n

On another, he may draw an iconic animal—an elephant,\u00a0a giraffe, a\u00a0dino, or a crocodile—fitting a big beast on a small glob.<\/p>\n

On many, he depicts joyful aspects of everyday life—a plate of bangers and eggs, a flower, or a funny face.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, he works by\u00a0special request from\u00a0a neighbor or a stranger to create (free) a visual message of love or thanks, a commemorative scene for a big event, or a pictorial apology. One was even a marriage proposal!<\/p>\n

The Millennium Bridge Trail<\/h4>\n

Wilson committed\u00a0himself full-time to gum art in 2004. \u00a0Several years later, he looked to a new challenge—creating a trail of tiny pictures across the Millennium Bridge from the Tate Modern\u00a0to Saint Paul’s Cathedral.<\/p>\n

His outdoor workshop became\u00a0a social spot, bringing\u00a0him into\u00a0conversation with curious walkers who have an eye for detail. This video (2:30) catches one such\u00a0conversation\u00a0and shows you how the aluminum grooves of the bridge’s deck changed his art style.<\/p>\n