Jello Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

By Victoria Belanger

Purple Digester Eggs For my entry in the year’s Gowanus Studio Space Jell-O Mold Competition I made this jello and plastic replica of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. A striking piece of engineering and architecture located a mere 500 yards from my apartment. The facility has been a point of interest for me since moving in to my neighborhood and a frequent photographic subject. I used 1 liter bottles to mold the gelatin “digester eggs” flavored with raspberry and french vanilla and used food die to mimic the color of the eggs lit at night. Super bright LED lights were used to illuminate the jello from behind. I competed against many wonderful and creative entries and sadly did not win. However, since being inspired by the architectural jellos of Liz Hickock and Bompas and Parr, this is a project I’ve wanted to take on for a while and am very happy with the finished product.  Congratulation to all the winners of the competition!

Photos of the event will be posted on the GSS website this week, but in the meantime Eater covered the event and Gothamist gave me some love. I wasn’t able to be at the actual competition since I was out-of-town so a very special thank you to Starr and Art for representing me! And thank you to Marie for helping me construct the catwalks for the model.

About Victoria Belanger

The Jello Mold Mistress of Brooklyn

21 Responses

  1. Miss Heather

    You will be pleased to know a woman who is on the Newtown Creek Monitoring Committee, the community group which (to some degree) oversees the Shit Tits, is very fond of your creation!

  3. Handel

    Like politics, all Jello is local, and the failure to acknowledge your wonderfully crafted tribute to the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant stains the credibility of the competition. All the same, I applaud the way you’ve graciously accepted the results and extended congratulations in the post above,

    and I’m sure that future competitions will not be able to ignore your masterpieces much longer without losing the confidence of the Jello enthusiast masses. And we are legion. Stay gold, Jello Mold Mistress

  5. Laura Hofmann

    An attendee of last nights Newtown Creek Monitoring Committee meeting brought a printout of your fine work of art. The NCMC members and consultants were delighted. The NCMC liasion has already requested on NCMC’s behalf, that fine works of art, such as this jello mold creation of the digesters, take their place in the Newtown Creek Waterpollution Contol Plant visitors center. Let’s see what DEP says.
    Your work get two thumbs up from this commmittee member.

      1. Walter Dufresne

        If this blog was your sole unlicensed use of my photograph, then I gladly accept your apology as settlement for your infringement. And I hope someday to see your comical molds in person.
        Sincerely,
        Walter

      2. Victoria Belanger

        Thanks. It is a beautiful photo. The sewage treatment plant is a favorite photographic subject of mine.

      3. Walter Dufresne

        More comedy in the matter of “subject”: in autumn 2010 I showed examples of different reproductions (newsprint, inkjet) of one of my night-time photographs of The Digesters. I showed the examples in a group show at CUNY and discovered, much to my happy surprise, The Eggs were a motif for *four* participants: two painters, a draughtsman, and a wood block engraver! Heady company for this commercial photographer …
        Brooklynites have our very own Motif Number One!

      4. Victoria Belanger

        It must be a North Brooklyn thing. At the jello mold competition in which I entered this jello rendition of the digester eggs, those who were familiar with the sewage treatment plant thought my entry was genius. Everyone else thought it was weird. Can’t win ’em all!

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