All images © Suzanne Saroff, shared with permission
“You know how when you smell a fragrance that brings you to a specific time—like if you wore a certain scent for a year in college or if your grandmother always smelled like Channel No. 5—each time you smell that fragrance it brings you right back,” says . “The process of chewing the gum for this series did that in a jarring way.”
Saroff is referring to a new body of work highlighting tiny bubblegum sculptures on the brink of deflating or popping. Conjuring memories of childhood competitions and absent-minded chomping, the photos zoom in on chewed wads of pink, blue, and green that appear almost corporeal, their pudgy folds and pockets evoking the beauty and repulsion of the human body.
The series started instinctively when Saroff spotted a pack of gum in her studio. Having previously photographed ephemeral subject matter like flowers, fish, and milk bubbles, the stretchy material was a welcome direction even though it popped within seconds of blowing. She made several trips to the nearest bodega for different flavors and colors and eventually, assembled dozens of combinations. “With , I was interested in capturing something a bit mischievous and visceral that pops within seconds. The bubble gum is a continuation of that,” she adds.
Find information about available prints and more of Saroff’s work, including a recent short film about transformation, on and
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