Each year for the past several years, we've blogged the results of the Turkey-shaped Jell-O® Mold Competition hosted at David Byrne's creative studio in New York, curated and documented in art world satire flair by Danielle Spencer. I'm a few days late posting this year's—I blame my holiday cold!—but while actual turkey leftovers are the stuff of misery, these faux turkey leftovers are the stuff of delight. Above, David Byrne's entry: "Pumpkin Pie."
The gold medal winner this year went to artist Cassandra C. Jones (above right, with Danielle in the headband), whose work we've featured on the blog and on an episode of Boing Boing Video; a special honor went to her husband Mikael Jorgensen (above left, with Danielle), whom you may best know as a member of American indie roots band Wilco and side project Pronto.
Gobble-Pop
Following Jasper Johns' dictum, Jones takes the turkey and "does something to it", ultimately effecting a masterful transformation that–like Johns–seemingly effortlessly addresses Americana and object-hood in one unimpeachable statement. Encaustic-like in its encasing, the Gobble-pop is a delirious concoction of creamy vanilla with a seductive skin of chocolate, slyly referencing the genre of country fair food-on-a-stick with humble hyperbole while elevating the commonplace to an aesthetic platform like no other.
Gold Medal winner [by popular election] for "Best Overall Turkey"By Cassandra C. Jones
Turkey-shaped Jell-O® Mold: 2010 Competition (daniellespencer.com)
