Iconic Convos: The Gum Wall

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Written By Nicole Bearden

Nicole Bearden (NB): A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Pike Place Market. During our talk, Pike Place spoke briefly about their friend The Gum Wall. Now that we are clear of the market’s holiday hustle and bustle, Gum Wall has made time to connect with us and share some secrets. Welcome, Gum Wall, and thank you for speaking with us today.

[A strong buzzing current that feels like a dentist’s drill etching my brain erupts as Gum Wall begins to vocalize inside my head, setting my teeth on edge]

Gum Wall (GW): Wwe aare hhonoreddd.

NB: *shakes head to try to clear the brain itch* Wow, um. What was I saying? Uhhh, honored to have you, I’m sure. Now, when we spoke with Pike Place, they seemed to imply that you somehow gain knowledge from gum chewers. Is this correct?

Gum Wall of brick covered in gum at Post Alley

Gum Wall in Post Alley, but make its voice sound like a dentist’s drill.

The Evergreen Echo

GW: Iiitt iiiss ssomewhatt ccorrrectt. Tthee cchewerss’ essssencce ennterss ttheirr ggumm. Iitt aactss aasss aa cconduittt. Wwhenn ttheyy ssticckk tthee ggumm ttoo mmee, aalll mmemmoriesss, eexxxperiecesss, knnowledggge eentersss mmmyy cconsciousssnesss.

NB: *eyes water* Astonishing. Has this always been the case, or is the upload to your consciousness a recent thing?

GW: Tttime is…pperpplexxxinggg. Wwee ddoo nnott knnoww wwhenn wwee aarre. Wwee aarre nnoww, aanndd tthenn, aanndd aallwwaysss. Aall aatt onncce. Tthiss cconnvversationn hhas aalreaddyy hhappenedd, aand wwilll hhappenn, aandd iiss hhappenninggg. Onncce, aaalll wwass ddarkk, tthenn, sstickkyy ssennssationnn, aand cconsscioussnness. Iii ddoo nnott knnoww whhenn.

NB: That sounds complicated, to say the least. What else have you learned from the gum? *braces for the discomfort of Gum Wall’s fizzing murmur*

GW: Iii kknoww aanggerr, lllovve, jjoyy hhearttbreakk, ddespairr. Iii hhhavve llivvedd, ddiedd, ssougghtt ccommfforrrtt. Iii hhavve ttrravvelledd aarrounndd tthee wworrldd. Bbeennn mmann, wwwommannn, cchilldd, aann elldderr. Ii cconntaainn tthee mmullttittuddess offf yyourrr hhummann exxisstencce. Aalll emmotionns, aalll exxxperienncess, aall attt onnce.

NB: I feel overwhelmed just hearing about it. What happens when they clean you? You know, when they wash all the gum away?

GW: Ttheyy wwashh aawwayy tthee ggumm, bbutt tthee mmemmorriess rremmainn.

NB: *winces* Roger that (confused). With your immense archive of vicarious experience, do you have any advice for our readers?

GW: Mmyy exxperienncce ttelllss mmeee tthatt hhumanns ddoo nnott llisstenn. You mmustt ffindd outt fforrr yyourrsellvvess. Ttoo mmannyy hhummanns ddonn’tt sseee wwhatt iss ttrullyy iimpporttantt unnttill iitt iiss ttoo llatte.

NB: *relieved to be done with this* Valid point. Thank you for sharing today. Gum Wall can be found in Post Alley at Pike Place Market. 

Nicole Bearden

(she/her) Nicole Bearden is a former performance, media, and photographic artist, as well as a curator and scholar of Contemporary Art. She is originally from Arkansas, now from Seattle for the past 25 years, with brief sojourns in Chicago, New York, and Massachusetts.

Nicole graduated with a degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Smith College in Massachusetts. She has worked as a curator, program manager, and event producer at Nolen Art Lounge in Northampton, MA, as an assistant for the Cunningham Center for Works on Paper at Smith College Museum of Art, and at Bridge Productions in Seattle, WA, and was the Executive Producer for the art podcast Critical Bounds. 

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