Today’s Croatian Times reports on a wooden gum pillar created by artist Andrej Macko from Slovonski Brod in eastern Croatia.

Macko is head of the “Seed, Stump, Art, Life” artists cooperative which helps war veterans learn new skills by creating handcrafted wooden furniture pieces, which have been featured most recently at Eco-Ethno Croatia fair. Despite suffering post-traumatic stress disorders following his service in the Croatian Homeland war in the 1990s, Macko says he has now dedicated his life to art and wood.

 As Macko notes in the article, this particular idea came to him as he struggled with the challenge of discarded gum — and an elegant solution to that problem:

The idea of a chewing-gum pillar came to him after he realised many people just did not know what to do with their chewing gum and threw it into the street. Now, they can just stick it onto the artistic pillar.

Split residents and tourists can see his work in the city centre.

Macko’s aim was to offer them a simple, unique, educational and ecological place for disposal of their gum.

He said the chewing-gum pillar required regular, special disinfection and frequent replacement by a new one.

He claimed the pillar was not only a practical but also an environmental solution because cleaning streets full of chewing gum was very expensive and required dangerous chemicals.

 To read the words (and history) that goes with this image, click here.

IMAGE: Kauwgomballenboom by
Dutch artist Willemijn van der Spiegel

Earlier today, we posted a video featuring the early 1970’s Dutch hit Kauwgomballenboom (or, The Gum Tree) by Elly Nieman and Rikkert Zuiderveld. I realize that you may not readily understand Dutch (as is the case with me)….so here is a rough English translation of the lyrics (with some modest paraphrases, where appropriate) courtesy of Googletranslate and then the song, as it was originally written, in Dutch — if you don’t need help with translation (Dutch lyrics courtesy of musicfrom.nl):

Right in the garden of my silly old uncle
(There is a) gum tree, gum tree, a real (gum tree)
With a hundred thousand balls for a penny and a penny
They just (look) down (to see) if you’re awake
They are all together from the branches of the tree
Right in the garden of my uncle

And every Monday (there) is the party in the street
Then all the children sing and no one comes too late
Because my uncle then climbs to the top of the tree
As he shakes the branches
And the (gum)balls stick,
But he (thows them) down
That we may (take them)
Until we (are chewing) and smacking
Right in the garden of my uncle

You know what is best in your case
Take a gum, a big gumball
You do not have to buy for a penny and a penny
Just (take) a walk when you’re awake
Then (just) look (for) the gum tree
Right in the garden of my uncle

Because every Sunday is the party in the street
Then all the children sing and no one comes too late
Because then my uncle (shakes) all (the gum)balls from the tree
Why are you still moping
Get your Bulls and your piping
(Don’t) let your jaw freeze
Because what do you have to lose
(Other) than your teeth and your choice
Long live my crazy old uncle

—

Midden in het tuintje van mijn oude malle oom
Staat een kauwgomballenboom, een echte kauwgomballenboom
Met honderdduizend ballen voor een stuiver en een cent
Die zie je zomaar zitten als je uitgeslapen bent
Ze vallen met z’n allen uit de takken van de boom
Midden in het tuintje van mijn oom

En elke zondagmiddag is het feest in de straat
Dan zingen alle kinderen en niemand komt te laat
Want dan klimt me oom naar het topje van de boom
Daar schudt ie aan de takken
En de ballen die daar plakken
Laat ie naar beneden kwakken
Die mogen wij dan pakken
Tot we smikkelen en smakken
Midden in het tuintje van me oom

Weet je wat het beste is in jouw geval
Neem een kauwgombal, een hele grote kauwgombal
Je hoeft hem niet te kopen voor een stuiver en een cent
Gewoon een stukje lopen als je uitgeslapen bent
Dan kom je zonder zoeken bij de kauwgomballenboom
Midden in het tuintje van mijn oom

Want elke zondagmiddag is het feest in de straat
Dan zingen alle kinderen en niemand komt te laat
Want dan schudt mijn oom alle ballen uit de boom
Waarom zit je nog te kniezen
Pak je bullen en je biezen
Laat je kaken niet bevriezen
Want wat heb je te verliezen
Dan je tanden en je kiezen
Leve me ouwe malle oom…

My pet hate - blobs of chewing gum on the ground, originally uploaded
by louisahennessyvikinghorns (away for a week).

1928 Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum Ad ~ Mother Goose Song
of Sixpence, originally uploaded by atticpaper.