Molasses Swamp II

Will Cotton, Molasses Swamp II, 1999, oil on linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.72.2, © 1999, Will Cotton
Copied Will Cotton, Molasses Swamp II, 1999, oil on linen, 36 x 48 in. (91.4 x 121.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2013.72.2, © 1999, Will Cotton

Artwork Details

Title
Molasses Swamp II
Artist
Date
1999
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
36 x 48 in. (91.4 x 121.9 cm)
Copyright
© 1999, Will Cotton
Credit Line
Gift of the James F. Dicke Family
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on linen
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — foodstuff — candy
Object Number
2013.72.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2013.72.2

Artwork Description

Molasses Swamp II is an imagined landscape of enticing confections. Caramel "cottontails" protrude from a bubbling swamp, while Oreos, Mallomars, and peanut butter cups form a rocky perimeter. Will Cotton's candy-themed paintings, which were initially inspired by the board game Candy Land, originate as elaborate tabletop models that he constructs out of familiar brands of candy and his own homemade pastries. His fanciful worlds conjure childhood fantasies, but they are as much about adult desire, indulgence, and excess as they are innocent pleasure.