Inspired by a form of Portuguese or Spanish ceramic tile-work painting, called ‘azulejos’, Shelley Miller uses sugar to create street art that resemble the blue-and-white tiles of Delft.

The Montreal-based artist uses edible blue paint frosting (like those for cakes) on white sugar tiles, to form delicate patterns and shapes; and then affix the tiles on the street walls to assemble intricate murals.

Akin to McVitie’s lickable elevator, Miller’s street art is entirely edible and lickable—whichever you prefer.

But over time, the weather naturally wears the sugar away over time—which leads Miller to also exploring the disintegration and unpredictable impermanence of objects, the construction and deconstruction of memory and history.

“As I was applying the tiles, realizing how quickly this mural might decompose,” Miller wrote on her blog.

“I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t much different than a very elaborate wedding cake, where decorator spends days or weeks planning and preparing, and then it all gets eaten in a single night.”

“I’ve put in almost 130 hours just for the painting, and soon I’m going to put it outside and let it wash away in the rain.”

[via Jeannie Huang]
TAXI Daily News