Chewing Gum Paintings Brighten Up Dirty Streets
By: Marissa Brassfield
Published: September 8, 2011

Most people pass by (or perhaps step in) discarded chewing gum on the street without a second thought, but artist Ben Wilson uses this chewed-up substance as a canvas. His chewing gum paintings have been seen all over London over the past six years; he estimates that he's created over 10,000 of them.
Wilson uses acrylic paint to illustrate his chewing gum paintings, sealing his masterpieces with clear lacquer. "Technically, it is not criminal damage, because you are painting the gum, not the pavement," he says of his work. What do you think of this guerrilla urban beautification project?