A Fresh Pack of Gum Blondes is a new exhibition from artist Jason Kronenwald featuring portraits of world famous blondes constructed entirely from chewing gum. Kronenwald, a native of Ontario who resides in Toronto, has been working with gum as an artistic medium since 1996 and has honed his craft to the point where his images come near photorealism in their likeness of his subjects. This show is his second for LE Gallery in Toronto.

All of the portraits are made of 100% chewing gum affixed onto a plywood backing. No paints or dyes are added to gum with all colors and tones coming from the chewed gum itself. Kronenwald smooths the chewed gum onto the backing creating the lifelike skintones and hair colors of his star subjects. The artist uses an enormous variety of gum brands and flavors for his palette, however he prefers not to chew the gum himself unless he has to, having a team of chewers he works with regularly to prepare the medium for him. Once the portrait has been completed in gum, Kronenwald seals it with epoxy resin to preserve it. Subjects cover a cross section of blonde women ranging from the likes of the tabloid trinity of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan to respected politicians like Hillary Clinton (seen after the jump).

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. We brought you some excellent top 10 lists this week on art, technology, director Errol Morris, and naughty celebs who should rethink their eco-lifestyles. Don’t forget to catch up with some of our other most popular articles of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Bush’s War: PBS Frontline Brings the War to a Computer Near You

Inverted Areola, Asymmetrical Breasts, & the Miss Bimbo Game

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Nicole:

Where the Wild Things Are: Top 10 Art Blogs

Dark Water: Artist Explores Consequences of Three Gorges Dam Project

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Giulia:

A Pregnant Man?

Is the Lebron / Gisele Vogue Cover Racist?

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Gina:

Top 10 Technology Blogs

Errol Morris’ Top 10 Films

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Kerry:

Top 10 Celebrities Who Need a New Cause

Dead Bats Flying: Mysterious Fatal Illness Alarms Scientists

America suffers from a collective case of do-gooder deafness: we have a hard time hearing a message when it’s delivered by a dorky academic or an unattractive activist. We’re all ears, though, when celebrities speak out about their pet causes, or their pets, or whatever. So, in acknowledgement of the fact that I, as a mere blogger, can only hope to influence so many people, I’d like to enlist the aid of some of our most oogled and Googled celebrities to help America combat climate change and overconsumption:

1. Britney Spears: Britney’s evidently on the road to recovery after some much needed r “˜n’ r. Here are three more “r’s” I’d love to see Britney promote: reduce, reuse and recycle. Our landfills are overflowing with post-consumer crap and the oceans are clogged up with plastic; what better time for Britney to redefine white trash! Recommended reading/viewing: Garbage Land by Elizabeth Royte; The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard.

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