Digital Iridescence: Jell-O in New Media
Since its invention in 1897, Jell-O has surprised, enchanted, and sometimes repulsed consumers. In the early 20th century, it was known as a democratized luxury, living several identities as a patriotic pantry staple in wartime, a delectable treat for domestic dinner parties and church potlucks, and an appealing sci-fi slime in the 1990s. Compared to then, we might assume we're in a Jell-O decline, but artists in this exhibition show us we're experiencing a Jell-O renaissance. Rather than on your plate or in your diet, the Jell-O phenomenon now arrives to us via screens: computers, smartphones, televisions.
Although this rise in digital Jell-O media is certainly part of an increasingly online world, it's also an extension of Jell-O's innate visual dazzle. This emphasis on Jell-O's artistic, aesthetic, and evocative qualities is nothing new. Just look at old recipe pamphlets and print advertisements. One ad from 1928 told its readers: "Watch your family's eyes brighten to match Jell-O's radiant sparkle!" Others used descriptors like "luscious" (1934), "shimmering" (1933), "sparkling beauty" (1926), and "unusually attractive and particularly nice" (1918).
Exhibition: Digital Iridescence - Jell-O in New Media
(From Boston MFA label)
Digital Iridescence: Jell-O in New Media
Since its invention in 1897, Jell-O has surprised, enchanted, and sometimes repulsed consumers. In the early 20th century, it was known as a democratized luxury, living several identities as a patriotic pantry staple in wartime, a delectable treat for domestic dinner parties and church potlucks, and an appealing sci-fi slime in the 1990s. Compared to then, we might assume we're in a Jell-O decline, but artists in this exhibition show us we're experiencing a Jell-O renaissance. Rather than on your plate or in your diet, the Jell-O phenomenon now arrives to us via screens: computers, smartphones, televisions.
Although this rise in digital Jell-O media is certainly part of an increasingly online world, it's also an extension of Jell-O's innate visual dazzle. This emphasis on Jell-O's artistic, aesthetic, and evocative qualities is nothing new. Just look at old recipe pamphlets and print advertisements. One ad from 1928 told its readers: "Watch your family's eyes brighten to match Jell-O's radiant sparkle!" Others used descriptors like "luscious" (1934), "shimmering" (1933), "sparkling beauty" (1926), and "unusually attractive and particularly nice" (1918).
Exhibition: Digital Iridescence - Jell-O in New Media
(From Boston MFA label)