Art

Item Description

Just in time for the season of ... gift wrapping!

Here's your chance to win Hiromi Niizeki's famous 'GumHearts' Wrapping Paper and a gift bag made with the same paper. 

This GumHearts set(M) contains:

1x GumHearts Wrapping Paper(11” x 17”)  

1x GumHearts Shopping Bag(7” x 5.5” x 2.75” )   

Each of GumHearts Wrapping Paper and Shopping Bags is Edition of 100, numbered & signed on.

Paper Bags are hand folded by the Artist one by one using the very same digitally inkjet printed wrapping paper, with brown ribbon handles, reinforced on the top/bottom. 

You can view the actual products at:

Michael Mut Project Space/ 97 Ave C, bet 6&7th St, New York NY

http://www.mmprojectspace.com

wed-fri : 4-8pm, sat:12-6 , F/V: Second ave, L: First Ave, 6: Astor pl. 

About GumHearts :

My son and I used to go to playground almost every day. During summer, we often found lots of broken “water bomb” and chewing gum wads on the ground. They were very colorful and looked so attractive to me and more so to him. They were everywhere. It seemed unavoidable. We have talked about what they are and often would identify their spectrum of colors. Although we enjoyed discussing the discarded material I taught him not to touch them or put them into his mouth. Years after, when we did not need to worry about the risk of my maturing boy, touching discarded gums on the street, it was time for me to really focus and explore this material in my art practice. They looked so colorful, resembling wild flowers or vivid polka dots. Each was unique in shape and color, ever changing with time. It was then that I started to use the camera from my cellular phone to capture them, as if I were on an endless treasure hunt.

Join me in my search to find discarded treasure in NYC for my participatory art project. Look for GumHearts in your area and capture it with your cell phone camera. Send your images to me athttps://www.facebook.com/Gumhearts, or e-mail togumhearts@gmail.com and become part of the creative process.

Item Special Note

About the artist:

Niizeki Hiromi 

http://niizekihiromi.com/

I am attracted to discarded, industrial, mass produced materials in our life, such as chewing gum on the street, pockets from used clothes, bathroom tissue rolls, envelopes with windows, fliers. It is like finding unexpected treasures in rejected things. They were not designed to be main stream, but to support others. I could be them. I may be them. I am creating works in a seemingly illogical way, contrary to the materials intended purpose. These materials motivate me to create space/air, installations - which are often interactive and site specific. My process includes the participation of many other people who help me collect the discarded materials, even though it is easier to throw them away. In some cases, people even pay postage to send materials to me. In 1996, for example, people collected junk mail which I made into paper mache.

My work is very personal, born out of the desire to make art, not riding the wave of the Eco-Green movement. Since I lived in Japan, I felt that I was different, a minority not majority, hybrid not pure, unique not graceful -- as though I was something discarded. Instead of a trying to merge with the main stream, I wanted to invite them to my side, which could be ironical and comfortable, cynical and beautiful, witty and stupid, cheap and expensive. In a very personal way, the audience interaction makes my work real and active. I like to highlight the unique characteristics in each discarded material that I work with. The stains, dents and rips speak of its background, and in the process of creation, I begin to respect each item and myself.

Often, my work involves intense simple labor such as ripping, cutting, gluing. By empowering ignored, discarded materials, I am empowering myself, and it is my way to challenge society.

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The top bidder will be given Hiromi's contact information and will be responsible for contacting Hiromi to discuss delivery.