The librarian at the HOSPITAL I work at was kind enough to track this
down for me in about 5 min--totally not work-related for either of
us, but she was excited to rise to the challenge of tracking down
something obscure like this.
Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 27, 2000, Thursday, Final Edition
SECTION: STYLE; Pg. C05
LENGTH: 880 words
HEADLINE: A Whole Heap of Peeps; Why Eat Candy When You Can Turn It
Into Art?
BYLINE: Nicole Lewis, Washington Post Staff Writer
BODY:
Some people crave chocolate, others ice cream. Artist David
Ottogalli has a
thing for Peeps, the artificially colored, sickly-sweet marshmallows
shaped like
chicks and bunnies. Each year around Easter, he buys hundreds of
boxes, a ritual
that raises eyebrows at checkout counters across the region. But
Ottogalli eats
only a few. He turns the rest into art.
After letting them harden and spray-painting them in his small
back yard in
Northwest Washington, Ottogalli, 36, uses the Peeps to make
sculptures. One of
them is a large American flag that can be viewed in his
installation "Peepsshow,
" in the windows of the former Newsroom Cafe at Connecticut Avenue
and S Street
NW. It also features two boards covered with Peeps behind chicken
wire and
several other clever objects, like a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket
brimming with
Peeps.
"I like to put products in a light that you don't normally see,"
he says.
Ottogalli has been obsessed with coloring food since he was a
child growing
up in Cleveland. He used to add red food coloring to his Cream of
Wheat and ask
for nontraditionally decorated birthday cakes, such as one frosted in
a
checkerboard design of orange and green. Peeps were part of his
annual Easter
basket.
"My brother and sister didn't care for them too much, so sometimes
I got
their leftovers," he says. "There is a big debate among followers
whether to eat
them when they are soft or hard. I like them better when they are
soft."
Comments from other Peeps fans can be found on Ottogalli's
entertaining Web
site, Peepsshow.com.
In addition to his marshmallow art, Ottogalli has created works
using Froot
Loops and dyed macaroni. He doesn't know why food intrigues him as a
medium. "I
like the contrasting colors together," he says. "They just kind of
come to life.
"
Ottogalli attended a technical college instead of art school, but
he always
knew that his latent creativity would one day manifest itself in his
love of
Peeps. This happened about eight years ago, when he moved into an
apartment with
space to store and spray his sugary stash. He's been selling his work
at local $
100 art sales organized by Annie Adjchavanich, who recently hired
Ottogalli to
decorate the window of the Arlington bar Ningaloo next month.
Ottogalli's Peeps magnets, which cost a dollar, are his most
popular item at
the art sales, although he's sold some larger works as well. A fellow
fan bought
a three-foot-long work made of Peeps bunnies. Unfortunately, ants
eventually
munched it. Ottogalli is trying to figure out a way to coat the Peeps
so they
don't disintegrate, chip or become bug snacks.
Ottogalli has not had much contact with Just Born, the
Pennsylvania company
that produces the marshmallow candy. One time when he called to see
if he could
place an order--Peeps are hard to find except during the spring--the
company
declined to sell him mass quantities at wholesale, but did mail 20
complimentary
boxes. In gratitude, Ottogalli offered to donate a piece of his art.
Just Born
politely declined, he says.
Still, Ottogalli says, "I've got to give credit to the company.
They make a
great product. You can eat it and you can paint it."
"Peepsshow" is on display at 1753 Connecticut Ave. NW. Ningaloo is
at 2000
Wilson Blvd., Arlington.
--- In [email protected], Julie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> Does anyone remember a peeps exhibit at the old Newsroom on
Connecticut and
> S? It was right after they closed (were forced out), but nothing
had been
> done to the building so someone set up the exhibit. There was
a "peep" hole
> through which to view it from the street. I searched the Post site
and
> found an article about it, but it's from April 2000 and thus can
only be
> purchased. Maybe chatwoman could post the link if she's around.
Here's
> what they gave me for free:
>
> The Washington Post - Washington, D.C. Author: Nicole Lewis
Date: Apr 27,
> 2000 Start Page: C.05 Section: STYLE Document Types: Feature Text
Word
> Count: 864
>
> Some people crave chocolate, others ice cream. Artist David
Ottogalli has a
> thing for Peeps, the artificially colored, sickly- sweet
marshmallows shaped
> like chicks and bunnies. Each year around Easter, he buys hundreds
of boxes,
> a ritual that raises eyebrows at checkout counters across the
region. But
> Ottogalli eats only a few. He turns the rest into art.
>
> After letting them harden and spray-painting them in his small back
yard in
> Northwest Washington, Ottogalli, 36, uses the Peeps to make
sculptures. One
> of them is a large American flag that can be viewed in his
installation
> "Peepsshow," in the windows of the former Newsroom Cafe at
Connecticut
> Avenue and S Street NW. It also features two boards covered with
Peeps
> behind chicken wire and several other clever objects, like a
Kentucky Fried
> Chicken bucket brimming with Peeps.
>
> Ottogalli has been obsessed with coloring food since he was a child
growing
> up in Cleveland. He used to add red food coloring to his Cream of
Wheat and
> ask for nontraditionally decorated birthday cakes, such as one
frosted in a
> checkerboard design of orange and green. Peeps were part of his
annual
> Easter basket.
>
>
>
> On 3/27/06, maxshenk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > (Insert "G*dd*mned b*tch set me up" joke here)
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In [email protected], James <ttlsccr@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Carrot-shaped? Max, have you been hitting the crack peep?
> > >
> > > maxshenk <brianmargo67@> wrote: Thank you, yes... all you have
> >
> > to do is toss a couple peeps out and
> > > I'll come scrambling out of the shadows.
> > >
> > > Does anyone remember ORANGE PEEPS shaped like carrots? I used to
> > get
> > > those in my easter basket when I was LITTLE LITTLE and they
stopped
> > > making them. They ROCKED.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In [email protected], Diane Lochner
> > > <dlochund@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Max! You're back! We haven't heard a, well....a peep from
you in
> > > ages!
> > > >
> > > > maxshenk <brianmargo67@> wrote: That is very exciting.
> > > >
> > > > --- In [email protected], Diane Lochner
> > > > <dlochund@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Intriguing.
> > > > > Hear that, James? Forget dinner and a movie
tonight....we're
> > > > going Peep investigating at Target instead.
> > > > >
> > > > > We'll report back on our findings. Film at eleven.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Ellen <ellengoodman6@> wrote:
> > > > > Have you actually seen them there? I asked an employee
and he
> > > was
> > > > > pretty emphatic that they don't sell them, for whatever
> > reason.
> > > > They
> > > > > have every other kind of Easter candy under the sun, but not
> > > peeps.
> > > > I
> > > > > think CVS sells them, and they have a much smaller
selection of
> > > > > Easter candy than Target.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In [email protected], Diane Lochner
> > > > > <dlochund@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I don't know what kind of Targets you have in Boston, but
I
> > > > cannot
> > > > > believe that Target is a Peep-Free Zone.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ellen <ellengoodman6@> wrote: Speaking of which, I
finally
> > saw
> > > > > real peeps for the first time in the
> > > > > > store. It was very exciting. Did you know they have peeps
> > eggs
> > > > that
> > > > > you
> > > > > > can decorate yourself? I think one reason I may not have
> > found
> > > > > them
> > > > > > sooner is they don't sell them at Target and I usually
find
> > all
> > > > > holiday-
> > > > > > related candy at Target. At Target I go down every aisle
> > > because
> > > > > there
> > > > > > might be hidden treasures, whereas at the supermarket I
don't
> > > > > bother to
> > > > > > go down the aisle if I don't need anything in that aisle.
I
> > > think
> > > > > > Target is missing big bucks by not selling peeps, IMO.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In [email protected], "karentandco"
> > > > > > <karentandco@> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > OK, I have been in the group for a while, but this is my
> > > first
> > > > > post.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > In light of the Peeps discussion a few weeks ago, check
out
> > > > this
> > > > > > video:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhCmfX_PQ7E
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Karen
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
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