Wishbone

It’s hard not to love Pop Art, that genre that began in the mid-50s and extended until the late 70s. Ordinary, popular objects and images were painted and sculpted, often at a massive scale. Pop artist Jim Dine defined the movement as “the American Dream, optimistic, generous and naive.”

I always have been particularly delighted by the “big food” Pop Art sculptures. It’s hard not to smile when encountering a giant spoon holding a cherry, a massive, melting ice cream cone plopped down atop a building or a Paul Bunyan size hamburger. Credit for these whimsical creations goes to Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

 

Pop Art is defined as a fine art, sells for exorbitant sums and can be found in museums and public spaces worldwide. However, another group of big foods exists that seems identical in nature, but without the fine art pedigree. I’m equally fond of these objects known as roadside attractions. If any of them were relocated to the lawn of an art museum, I think they would immediately be “transformed” into fine art.

A newly minted, 24-foot tall, food sculpture recently came on the scene in downtown LA. Entitled Lucky Break by American artist Jonathan Paul, it is extremely apropos for this week. You can decide for yourself if it’s fine art or another roadside attraction. Good Luck!

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