Felix Hook: Pink Donut

Artist Statement

“Pink Donut” is an explorative juxtaposition and combination of two different common objects that serve two very different purposes. The grub worm, which is the base of the piece, is curled up in a sort of fetal position just as many grub worms are. It is still in its infancy and is in a strange and rudimentary stage in its life cycle. The regularity of the grub worm’s form is disrupted by cartoonishly pink icing and sprinkles decorating its glistening surface. The grub worm itself becomes a delicacy, although it is hard to ignore its sprawling legs and earthy ochre tones.

These objects themselves are indifferent, but human connotations apply different traits and idealizations to them. Grub worms are a garden pest or an unsightly insect to many people, one of many offspring of countless nuisances. Really, though, they are more helpless than that.They are not evil or out to make the world hate them; they are simply driven by natural animalistic instincts that drive them to move, to consume, and to continue living. By combining both grub worm and donut, a new display of the creature’s helplessness is shown. Although we might be even more disgusted at this combination and by the oversized nature of this larval insect, it remains as an indifferent creature of nature that is often at the mercy of humans or whatever other predators look for it. A power dynamic exists between human and nature, our impacts on even the smallest elements is inevitable.

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About the Project

• Title of Work: Pink Donut
• Medium: One small foam sculpture hand-painted with acrylic paint, about 6 in tall and 14 in long.
• Student's Name: Felix Hook
• Major: Digital Storytelling
• Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2024
• Hometown: Pleasant Hill, MO, Cass County, United States
• Student's Mentor: Kenzie Wells
• Mentor's Department: Art