A Denver artist has recreated George Zimmerman’s mugshot with 12,250 Skittles glued for a art piece he titled “Fear Itself.” Although many major details about George Zimmerman murdering Trayvon Martin are still not fully clear, it is known that Trayvon did have an Arizona Iced Tea and a bag of Skittles on him when he was murdered. Andy Bell, who created the artwork, said he choice the candy to raise awareness about Trayvon’s case. Read more and see the pic below.
The most crucial facts are still being disputed about what happened Feb. 26, the night George Zimmerman killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. But one detail is clear: Martin had been on a trip to the store to buy Skittles when the incident took place.
The candy makes an appropriate medium for Denver artist Andy Bell’s portrait of George Zimmerman, now in RedLine Gallery downtown. Bell’s piece, “Fear Itself,” transforms Zimmerman’s much-seen mug shot into a 36-by-48-inch artwork. The portrait consists of 12,250 Skittles glued to plywood and covered with varnish.
Bell, 31, who is just days from graduating from Metropolitan State College of Denver with his BFA, started the portrait when he first got word of the killing. “I wanted to do all I could to raise awareness about the case,” he said.
He put the Zimmerman mug shot through some Photoshop paces and mapped out a way of recreating it in red, green, yellow and orange candies. His wife and friends helped him with the gluing. “It became family puzzle night,” he said.
Bell was on a school field trip to RedLine this week and showed a few phone shots to operations manager Louise Martorano. RedLine, a fine arts space that does not shy away from showcasing controversial work, quickly found a place for it on its walls. RedLine’s executive director PJ D’Amico describes the work as a “crazy, terribly beautiful piece,” that is “profound beyond measure.”
Despite the portrait’s title, Bell makes clear he has some sympathy for Zimmerman. He is waiting to hear the facts before making his own judgment, he said. Ray Rinaldi, The Denver Post.
