While most of us would pass by scattered stones and piles of rubble without a second thought, Elizabeth Saloka saw huge potential. From a few piles of rocks outside her regular supermarket to crumbling curbs or demolished buildings, she sifts through rocks of all shapes and sizes that can eventually be transformed into vibrant imitations of common household items, boxed sandwiches from Pret a Manger or snack cheeses from the Babybel brand.
“Last fall, I bought a ton of marble fragments from a sculptor in Woodstock for $10 on Facebook,” Saloka told Colossal. “For sandwiches and cakes, crumbling asphalt parking lots are great. When I lived in Sunset Park, they tore down a building a few blocks from my apartment and there was a hole in the fence, so I would go in there and find a lot of cool shapes and textures of rubble.”
She humorously created a stack of $1 and $5 bills out of building blocks and cut pavers into boxes of fancy crackers. “That particular rock shape — a rectangular cube — is to me the holy grail of rock shapes because it doesn’t occur naturally that much in nature,” Saloka said. When she finds a specific shape or cut that suits something, like a pink pearl eraser or a pop of candy, she collects as many as she can.
Pop culture elements dominate Saloka’s work, from well-known grocery store brands to mainstream fast food to memes like the so-called “IKEA monkey” wearing a tiny shearling coat. There’s also an air of nostalgia for the toys, mockumentary movies, and pantry essentials that many of us associate with our childhoods or previous generations.
If you’re in New York, you can see the artist’s work at Snacks and the city Her work will be on display at Gotham’s Chelsea gallery space from March 19 to May 3. Her work also includes a group exhibition at Galicate Panther from March 27 to May 21. In June, she will participate in a two-person exhibition at Women’s Studio Workshop with Kate Bingaman-Burt, as well as a solo show at Here to Sunday. See more on Saloka’s Instagram.
