Aaron Jaskinski’s latest painting series ‘Eye Candy’ is an artistic exploration of classic candy brands. Each painting depicts a chaotic collage of people, animals and objects. Each of these individual objects is either covered in or consuming candy.
The most striking of all his paintings is one depicting two women as the focal point, trapped in a circular painted frame against a bubblegum pink background. The women each have sundae sauce as hair, with sticky chocolate and caramel tendrils dripping down and out of the frame. Elsewhere in the painting is a child grasping desperately at a chocolate popsicle, chocolate already splashed across his gaping mouth. Surrounding the circular frame are floating chocolates, strawberries and popsicles, adding to the overall sweetness of the work in general.
The ‘Eye Candy’ series is a clear analysis of society’s love of decadence -- especially sweets. Many countries support a culture that encourages over-eating, allowing its members to gorge themselves on rich food. Jasinski’s portrayal of people as gluttonous consumers of sweets criticizes society’s obsession with sickeningly sweet foods. For this reason, 'Eye Candy' acts not only as a vibrant painting series, but as a strong statement regarding the errors of society.
What's Driving This Trend
- Sweet Artistic Explorations
- Artists can create colorful, sweet-inspired works that provide commentary on society's obsession with decadence.
- Decadent Critiques
- Artists can use the depiction of decadent foods to criticize societal norms, such as overeating and consumerism.
- Candy Pop Culture
- Candy can be used as a cultural reference point to explore societal trends, values and obsessions.
Who This Affects Most
- Art
- Artists can use candy as inspiration to create paintings, sculptures, and other works that critique society.
- Candy
- Candy companies can incorporate art and cultural commentary into their branding and marketing efforts to resonate with consumers.
- Social Commentary
- Art installations and exhibitions that use candy as a cultural reference point can provide a space for societal reflection and critique.
