The pandemic affected everyone in some ways. But the most common leftover from that era was probably the loneliness, stillness, and emptiness. Artist Aaron Luckman took over the streets of Boston during the lockdown in 2020 and started to observe them. Without the people, rush, transportation, and tourists; the streets were empty.

This is when he noticed gum wads stuck to the concrete and sidewalks. Usually, they are molded with shoe imprints like Neil Armstrong’s trace on the Moon. Some gums have different, vibrant colors but some are just pale and gray. Aaron Luckman describes those little remnants as little fossils and adds, that these blobs of masticated synthetic polymer increasingly fascinated me the more I noticed them during my daily walks.

The Gum Shoo project took interest and gained traction over the years. Now it’s not only a photography project, because it has editions, bronze castings, and soon publications, prints, and AR/VR experiences.