In London, a "chewing gum artist" makes miniature marvels from throwaway culture Lying on a footbridge spanning London's River Thames, Ben Wilson puts the final touches to his latest creation: a miniature painting on chewing gum, stuck to the steel structure. For the past 15 years, this 57-year-old Englishman has been going around the British capital, sculpting and repainting scraps of gum discarded by passers-by.