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Who could have thought that moldy, rotten fruit could be beautiful? As it turns out, anything is possible at the hands of talented artist, Kathleen Ryan. Ryan has perfected the art of turning fruit sculptures into mesmerizing, moldy-looking works of art. To make all types of fruits, she uses a polystyrene base measuring up to 28 inches in width. The artist then proceeds to paint the patterns of the mold and tops it off by individually placing dozens of precious and semi-precious gemstones to create the decay. The ultimate result of her unique artworks are mesmerizing - for a split second, the gems create an illusion of real mold, but then you realize you've been tricked by excellent craftsmanship. Ryan uses a variety of gemstones such as opal, smoky quartz, malachite, and many others for her beautiful sculptures.

The New York-based sculpture artist studied Studio Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College and received a Master’s of Fine Arts from U.C.L.A. Ryan is represented by Josh Lilley's gallery where her solo show was held last year. This year, her work was showcased at MIT’s List Visual Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and The New Art Gallery in Walsall, U.K. Also, her unusual sculptures appeared as part of Desert X in Coachella, CA.

More info: Instagram | joshlilleygallery.com

#2

Moldy-Fruit-Sculptures-Kathleen-Ryan

Kathleen Ryan , Josh Lilley Report

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Bell Smith
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahahaha why did people downvote that? Actually never mind I get it. It could be misconstrued as offensive but OP didn't mean it like that. It's kinda funny :P

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#3

Moldy-Fruit-Sculptures-Kathleen-Ryan

Kathleen Ryan , Josh Lilley Report

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Blueplanet
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This doesn't look like moldy fruit. This is by far the best-looking

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#4

Moldy-Fruit-Sculptures-Kathleen-Ryan

Kathleen Ryan , Josh Lilley Report

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Tawny
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Audibly shudders* worst thing is when you touch it, it's smooth and hard-- (and not edible--)

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#6

Moldy-Fruit-Sculptures-Kathleen-Ryan

Kathleen Ryan , Josh Lilley Report

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Joyce Laundrie
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with that 1st comment, WHY? To me, it's not pleasing to the eye, and I love gem stones.

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#17

Moldy-Fruit-Sculptures-Kathleen-Ryan

Kathleen Ryan , Josh Lilley Report

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Susan Hochgraef
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4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I REALLY want to touch these! The tactile sensations would be awesome!