Get ready to stick your eyes on a masterpiece! Rudy Willingham whipped up a portrait of retired Coach Pete Carroll using $100 worth of chewing gum. Why gum? Because Coach Carroll had a habit of chomping gum during games, of course! This sweet masterpiece now resides on Seattle’s famous gum wall, residing as an epic piece of gumtastic art. Stop by and check it out!
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TRANSCRIPTION:
Erica:
There’s a work of art hanging on the gum wall right now, and I hope it sticks around for a while. Artist Rudy Willingham created a picture of Coach Pete Carroll made out of chewing gum. And you can go to Seattle and see it if you so “chews” right now. Chew. See you get it. Ha ha ha. Okay, I want to welcome Rudy Willingham to SPIRIT 105.3. Thanks for hanging out with us. It really is an incredible piece of chewing gum art. I seriously love it. What inspired you to do this for Coach Carroll?
Rudy Willingham:
I used to love watching him smack gum on the sidelines and wondering how many packs of gum he went through every game. And I felt like it kind of embodied his childlike spirit on the sidelines. So, when he retired, I was kind of thinking, how can I pay tribute to this amazing coach? And I kind of linked the two, his gum chewing with the gum wall, trying to combine the two Seattle icons. So yeah, that’s kind of how the idea came about.
Erica:
Smart thinking. And how many pieces of gum did you chew to make this happen?
Rudy Willingham:
I didn’t really count, and some of them were like bubble tape. I definitely chewed more gum in one day than I had my entire life prior. Yeah, I think it was close to like a hundred dollars worth of gum. I couldn’t move my jaw for a couple days afterwards and I couldn’t really taste anything. My taste buds have been burned off.
Erica:
Wow. You took one for the team, Rudy. And what has the response been like?
Rudy Willingham:
It’s been really good. I mean, I think it’s very unexpected. I don’t think anyone’s seen art made out of chewed gum before, so it’s a mix of “That’s disgusting” and “That’s beautifu!”
Erica:
I concur. Do you know if Coach Carroll has seen it?
Rudy Willingham:
I don’t know if he’s seen it. I hope he has. I’m not sure, but I’m hoping.
Erica:
I’m hoping too. So, do you think this will just be the first of your gum creations? Like, if something goes on with another Seattle icon, will there be another?
Rudy Willingham:
I don’t know. I think this might be a one-time deal for Pete because he’s associated with gum, but I want the material to be linked to the subject in some way. But who knows, maybe a gum company will hire me to do…
Erica:
I like this.
Rudy Willingham:
…another mural, to do my new thing.
Erica:
Good luck to you Rudy Willingham, thank you so much for hanging out with us on SPIRIT 105.3.
Rudy Willingham:
Thank you.
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