A Kaleidoscope that Looks Good Enough to Eat

By Danielle Pope

A Kaleidoscope that Looks Good Enough to Eat
Be drawn into an edible fantasy world with these psychedelic creations…

Presented as one captivating, colour saturated installation within the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts’ vast central gallery space, When Happiness Ruled is a major new solo exhibition by local artist Pip & Pop. Over 450 kilograms of sugar has been transformed to create a world that would not be out of place in Willy Wonka’s factory.

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Pip & Pop, When Happiness Ruled, 2016. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Photo: Jacqueline Ball.

Pip & Pop is obsessed with representations of paradise, illusions and wish-fulfilment described in folktales, mythologies and cinema. Her finely detailed and candy-colour installations draw wide inspiration from the edible fantasy world of Cockaigne, platform video games and Japanese stories of spirits residing within objects and nature.

The West Australian artist creates intricately detailed, rainbow hued landscapes, using sugar as her medium, “It’s a beautiful material, because it has this sort of sparkle, but I also love that it has this empty promise,” she said.

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These meticulously constructed and highly details works embrace notions of abundance, utopian dreams and fleeting pleasure, resulting from her fascination with notions of paradise. “My intention is to create an immersive installation that is saturated, hypnotic and overwhelming in it’s detail and abundance, “ she says, “I hope that the audiences find the installation to be a dizzying, bountiful and expansive work with a sense of optimism.”

On commenting on the exhibition, PICA Director Amy Barrett-Lennard said, “Her careful and laborious pouring of dyed sugar and placing of toy-like plastic, paper origami and foam components result in tantalising dreamscapes and seductive vistas populated with poetic, magical and absurd situations and moments.”

Pip & Pop’s When Happiness Ruled is at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts until December 24. Find out more on their website here

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