Even today, Jell-O is a medium for artists like Leanne Rodriguez, who makes and sells lamps that resemble (mostly) savory gelatin molds. And around the same time, creative duo Lazy Mom crafted gelatin molds that encased candy and money. As the New York Times reported in 2018, Alison Kuo performed a piece in which she “caressed, slapped and shook a translucent blob of Jell-O.” Sharona Franklin’s gelatin sculptures, which garnered internet buzz the following year, addressed disability and living with chronic illness. “There’s this currency of food imagery that’s taken hold in the last couple of years that doesn’t have that much to do with the experience of eating,” explains Monroe of It seems the distinction between food and art has worn thin, and as we near the end of 2021, the internet is rife with holiday-party documentation that toes this line.Ī post shared by The Jellyologist worth noting that queer and female artists have been working with Jell-O for years, toying with its historical ties to binary gender roles, among other more nuanced implications (straightness, sacrifice, sensuality). Lately, though, I’ve noticed a steady stream of jiggly treats in my feed, each one a feast for the eyes but, I’d wager, less so for the belly. ![]() There was a brief uptick in sales in the ’90s, when Jell-O leveraged recognizable names to front its commercials, but the mass appeal was undoubtedly gone. But by the ’70s, the buzz had quieted, and Jell-O was largely relegated to children’s lunch boxes and hospital trays. In the ’ 50s, there was a shift toward intricate food presentation, and gelatin proved the ideal case study, melding the instant-food fad with domestic idealism. In the early 20th century, Jell-O sales picked up thanks to gendered and quick-pivoting marketing efforts - first positioning it as an affordable yet refined way to preserve wartime rations and then, as sweet iterations gained steam, as a light dinner-party dessert. The instant mixture was used to encase salads and leftovers and offered a clean, tidy look (along with an indication of wealth) - something lauded by both turn-of-the-century cooks and their Victorian counterparts. Highly wrought gelatin centerpieces were popular as far back as medieval Europe, but instant gelatin, otherwise known as Jell-O, wasn’t packaged and sold until 1897, when a couple trademarked the brand name. Gelatin, of course, predates Instagram by more than a century. So why, more than a half-century past its heyday, is the retro treat having a resurgence? Like too many things today, it has a lot to do with Instagram. Lexie Park makes jelly creations in Los Angeles, and the Jellyologist sells Jell-O kits out of New Zealand, including this Xmas Table Stunner. Chef Laila Gohar made berry-filled molds for a fahncy luncheon in Milan. Popular food artist Jen Monroe perfected little gelatin sky cubes for a recent Timberland event. Today, Solid Wiggles - a business with a decidedly millennial aesthetic operating out of Kit in Brooklyn and online through Goldbelly - creates Jell-O cakes that are often boozy and always beautiful, selling for $100ish a pop. ![]() Nonetheless, I informed my mother that yes, Jell-O is indeed making a comeback. One friend thought of hospitals: Why do they feed sick people a bowlful of sugar? My mom asked if Jell-O was making a comeback, citing Costco’s premade Jell-O shots. When you talk to people about Jell-O, associations vary.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |